variants
or less commonly rime
2
a
: correspondence in terminal sounds of units of composition or utterance (such as two or more words or lines of verse)
b
: one of two or more words thus corresponding in sound
c
: correspondence of other than terminal word sounds: such as
(1)
(2)
rhymeless
adjective
variants
or less commonly rime
rhymed also rimed; rhyming also riming
1
: to relate or praise in rhyming verse
2
a
: to put into rhyme
b
: to compose (verse) in rhyme
c
: to cause to rhyme : use as rhyme
1
: to make rhymes
also
: to compose rhyming verse
2
of a word or verse
: to end in syllables that are rhymes
3
: to be in accord : harmonize
rhymer
noun
Synonyms
Examples of rhyme in a Sentence
Noun
She used “moon” as a rhyme for “June.”
He couldn't think of a rhyme for “orange.”
They're learning about meter and rhyme.
Verb
Please find the two lines that rhyme.
She rhymed “moon” with “June.”
Recent Examples on the Web
Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
Energy, the raw stuff of creation, is coming at you all the time, in hints, clues, rhymes, or blasts of inspiration.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2024
It’s become a scourge, the cause of which seems to defy both rhyme and reason.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2024
After crafting multiple sick rhymes about Barry Keoghan’s junk, summon wee faeries to mop brow with silken kerchief.
—Johanna Gohmann, The New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2024
Signed to indie Big Ligas and distributed by Warner, Londra, with a sweet, distinctive voice and look that contrasted with his freestyle rhymes, was an immediate sensation whose music was able to cross over from Argentina to the world.
—Leila Cobo, Billboard, 25 Mar. 2024
This picture book includes hilarious rhymes every kid will love.
—Christopher Murray, Fox News, 11 Mar. 2024
The obvious one is that, again, there's absolutely no rhyme, reason, or place for these types of comments—period, but especially in front of a small child.
—Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 6 Mar. 2024
Eighties babies and 90s kids spent hours immersed in music videos, memorizing choreography, rehearsing dance moves, and reciting the rhymes of our favorite rappers.
—Ebony Flake, Essence, 15 Feb. 2024
Hollace Ava Weiner, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Apr. 2024
Overall, the analysis revealed that songs now use more rhyming words and choruses.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
Nearly all of the invitations followed the same format: a clever rhyming couplet at the top offered a snippet of homespun poetry, …
… followed by a euphemism advertising the main event.
—Debra Kamin, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024
Avoid names that rhyme with sit or stay, for example.
—Zoe Gowen, Southern Living, 26 Mar. 2024
Because baseball sometimes rhymes, several months later, Rocktober brought Helton and the Red Sox together — only as opponents in the postseason.
—Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 23 Jan. 2024
There are rhyming forms all over the canvas: triangles, crescents, spiky starbursts and tongues, stubby fingers and egg-like heads with open mouths.
—Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024
And tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and okra don’t like anything that even rhymes with cool or drafty!
—Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 16 Feb. 2024
Others included messages, written or rhymed aloud, that Norfolk said romanticized life as a gang leader.
—Alex Mann, Baltimore Sun, 13 Feb. 2024
Noun
Researchers attributed this trend to rap songs’ tendency to repeat lines and rhymes.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
Energy, the raw stuff of creation, is coming at you all the time, in hints, clues, rhymes, or blasts of inspiration.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2024
It’s become a scourge, the cause of which seems to defy both rhyme and reason.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2024
After crafting multiple sick rhymes about Barry Keoghan’s junk, summon wee faeries to mop brow with silken kerchief.
—Johanna Gohmann, The New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2024
Signed to indie Big Ligas and distributed by Warner, Londra, with a sweet, distinctive voice and look that contrasted with his freestyle rhymes, was an immediate sensation whose music was able to cross over from Argentina to the world.
—Leila Cobo, Billboard, 25 Mar. 2024
This picture book includes hilarious rhymes every kid will love.
—Christopher Murray, Fox News, 11 Mar. 2024
The obvious one is that, again, there's absolutely no rhyme, reason, or place for these types of comments—period, but especially in front of a small child.
—Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 6 Mar. 2024
Eighties babies and 90s kids spent hours immersed in music videos, memorizing choreography, rehearsing dance moves, and reciting the rhymes of our favorite rappers.
—Ebony Flake, Essence, 15 Feb. 2024
Verb
Max assisted her and became the shamas, which rhymes with promise and means the caretaker or sexton of a synagogue.
—Hollace Ava Weiner, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Apr. 2024
Overall, the analysis revealed that songs now use more rhyming words and choruses.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
Nearly all of the invitations followed the same format: a clever rhyming couplet at the top offered a snippet of homespun poetry, …
… followed by a euphemism advertising the main event.
—Debra Kamin, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024
Avoid names that rhyme with sit or stay, for example.
—Zoe Gowen, Southern Living, 26 Mar. 2024
Because baseball sometimes rhymes, several months later, Rocktober brought Helton and the Red Sox together — only as opponents in the postseason.
—Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 23 Jan. 2024
There are rhyming forms all over the canvas: triangles, crescents, spiky starbursts and tongues, stubby fingers and egg-like heads with open mouths.
—Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024
And tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and okra don’t like anything that even rhymes with cool or drafty!
—Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 16 Feb. 2024
Others included messages, written or rhymed aloud, that Norfolk said romanticized life as a gang leader.
—Alex Mann, Baltimore Sun, 13 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rhyme.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English rime, from Anglo-French
First Known Use
Noun
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of rhyme was
in the 13th century
Phrases Containing rhyme
Dictionary Entries Near rhyme
Cite this Entry
“Rhyme.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rhyme. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
rhyme
1 of 2 noun
variants
also rime
ˈrīm
1
a
: close similarity in the final sounds of two or more words or lines of verse
b
: one of two or more words having this similarity in sound
2
a
: rhyming verse
b
: a composition in verse that rhymes
rhyme
2 of 2 verb
variants
also rime
rhymed also rimed; rhyming also riming
1
a
: to make rhymes : put into rhyme
b
: to compose rhyming verse
2
: to end in syllables that rhyme
3
: to cause to rhyme : use as rhyme
rhymed "moon" with "June"
rhymer
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on rhyme
Nglish: Translation of rhyme for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of rhyme for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rhyme
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