pentameter

noun

pen·tam·e·ter | \ pen-ˈta-mə-tər

Definition of pentameter

: a line of verse consisting of five metrical feet

Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about pentameter

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Did You Know?

In a line of poetry written in perfect iambic pentameter, there are five unstressed syllables, each of which is followed by a stressed syllable. Each pair of syllables is a metrical foot called an iamb. Much of the greatest poetry in English has been written in iambic pentameter; Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Milton used it more than any other meter. Robert Frost's line "I'm going out to clean the pasture spring" is an example of it; his "And miles to go before I sleep" is instead an example of iambic tetrameter, with only four accented syllables.

Examples of pentameter in a Sentence

a poem written in iambic pentameter

Recent Examples on the Web

The usually reliable Gnapp makes for a blocky Claudius, chugging through lines as if buoyed by the iambic pentameter and nothing more. — Lily Janiak, San Francisco Chronicle, "Youth gives some new energy to Marin Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet,’ but not enough," 2 June 2018 Mr Kinnear’s goal is to make the iambic pentameter seem as vernacular as artificial. — The Economist, "The making of a Shakespearean actor," 15 Mar. 2018 Sarah Ruden took upon herself the Herculean task of translating Virgil line-by-line, in iambic pentameter, the normative rhythm of English verse, as dactylic hexameter is of ancient epic. — Willard Spiegelman, WSJ, "Of Arms and the Man," 22 Sep. 2017 Shakespeare’s iambic pentameters were sacred, precise as a page of music, never to be broken mid-line, even at a full stop. — The Economist, "Fighting for the stageObituary: Peter Hall died on September 11th," 21 Sep. 2017 Among others, there’s Ranjit Bhatnagar’s Pentametron, a Twitter bot that couples public tweets written in iambic pentameter to create rhyming couplets. — Leah Henrickson, Slate Magazine, "Behold the Amazing Poetry-Generating Machine!," 29 Aug. 2017 But then the poet, Guillermo Vilas, found the pentameter of his game, to the cheers of those who obviously preferred the poet to the punk. — Dave Anderson, New York Times, "The U.S. Open’s Last Day at Forest Hills," 26 Aug. 2017 What started in L.A. in 2010 has become a full-fledged phenomenon in iambic pentameter: based on a suggestion from the audience, the Chickspeare troupe improvise a full play in five acts in the style of one of the Bard’s comedies. — Marielle Wakim, Los Angeles Magazine, "The 5 Best Things to Do in L.A. This Weekend," 11 Aug. 2017 This Shakespeare engages in a Hamilton-esque rap battle, in iambic pentameter, shouting about the necessity of his verbal dexterity. — Eric Thurm, Esquire, "Will Is the Latest Attempt to Make History Sexy Again," 11 July 2017

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