Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

See What's Trending Now See More Trending Words

assonance

play
noun as·so·nance \ ˈa-sə-nən(t)s \

Definition of assonance

1 a :relatively close juxtaposition of similar sounds especially of vowels (as in "rise high in the bright sky")
b :repetition of vowels without repetition of consonants (as in stony and holy) used as an alternative to rhyme in verse
2 :resemblance of sound in words or syllables
—

assonant

play \-nənt\ adjective or noun
—

assonantal

play \ˌa-sə-ˈnan-tᵊl\ adjective

See assonance defined for English-language learners

See assonance defined for kids

People Are Reading

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
Words of the Year: 1066
alt-59c52d6ee2f72
Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'
alt-59c448f88ea38
Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'
young-plant-shoots
Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Recent Examples of assonance from the Web

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'assonance.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of assonance

French, from Latin assonare to answer with the same sound, from ad- + sonare to sound, from sonus sound — more at sound

Other Grammar and Linguistics Terms

ablaut, allusion, anacoluthon, diacritic, gerund, idiom, infinitive, metaphor, semiotics, simile

ASSONANCE Defined for English Language Learners

assonance

play
noun

Definition of assonance for English Language Learners

  • : the use of words that have the same or very similar vowel sounds near one another (as in “summer fun” and “rise high in the bright sky”)

Learn More about assonance

  1. Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about assonance

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up assonance? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

yeasty

play

of yeast or being unsettled or frivolous

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. dotage, dotard a state or period of senile decay

  2. otherwise "in other respects"

  3. federalism Graham says bill gives power to states

  4. bodega "Don’t mess with the beloved bodega."

  5. carceral Of, relating to, or suggesting a jail or prison

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

assonance

Test Your Vocabulary

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

  • young-plant-shoots
  • Which of the following is a new sense of the word bunny?
True or False

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Word Winder's CrossWinder

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

alt-59c52d6ee2f72
Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'

The word's origins are quite literal

alt-59c4207ecf106
Let's Talk 'Tea'

Spill it, sip it: just make it hot.

image1644821030
8 Words and Phrases from Boxing and Wrestling

Common terms that come from boxing and wrestling

alt-59c2960017c94
The Ambiguity of Pushing 'Up' and 'Back'

When you push a meeting, where does it go?

Ask the Editors

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

payday
How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Don't get us started on 'bimonthly'

video-irregardless-grammar-peeve-blend-of-the-synonyms-irrespective-and-regardless
Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

video-moose-goose-weird-plurals
Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

young-plant-shoots
Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

You're going to have to memorize the dictionary again.

Take the quiz
stylized-drawing-of-woman-pole-vaulting-across-gap-to-get-trophy
Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

No tricks, just difficult words.

Take the quiz
True or False
True or False?

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

Take the quiz
Word Winder's CrossWinder
Word Winder's CrossWinder

A game of winding words.

Play the game