poet

noun

po·​et ˈpō-ət 

-it

also ˈpȯ(-)it

1

: one who writes poetry : a maker of verses

2

: one (such as a creative artist) of great imaginative and expressive capabilities and special sensitivity to the medium

Synonyms of poet

• minstrel
• muse
• bard

Examples of poet in a Sentence

Emily Dickinson is famous as the poet who rarely left the house but often journeyed to the depths of the human heart.

Recent Examples on the Web

And this wrenching essay from visual artist and poet Kennedy Amenya Gisege considers the unique spiritual toll that incarcerated parents face. —Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 11 June 2026

Debra Utacia Krol, The Arizona Republic Pikes Peak During the summer of 1893, poet and literature professor Katharine Lee Bates joined other teachers working in Colorado Springs for the summer and took a ride to the top of Pikes Peak. —Alia Beard Rau, USA Today, 10 June 2026

The first plaque commemorated the poet Lord Byron in 1867 but the house was later demolished. —ABC News, 10 June 2026

Most of the brick paintings at Wrightwood are Loisaida landscapes, peopled with passionate characters like kissing firemen, airborne skateboarders and Miguel Piñero, a Puerto Rican poet, playwright and ex-convict who was Wong’s lover in the early ’80s. —Lori Waxman, Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French poete, from Latin poeta, from Greek poiētēs maker, poet, from poiein to make; akin to Sanskrit cinoti he gathers, heaps up

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing poet

• poet laureate

Kids Definition

poet

noun

po·​et ˈpō-ət 

-it

: a person who writes poetry