poem

noun

po·​em ˈpō-əm 

-im, 

ˈpōm

also ˈpȯ(-)im, 

ˈpō-ˌem 

1

: a composition in verse

2

: something suggesting a poem (as in expressiveness, lyricism, or formal grace)

The house we stayed in … was itself a poem.

—H. J. Laski

Synonyms of poem

• verse
• lyric
• song
• sonnet
• poetry

Examples of poem in a Sentence

He wrote a poem about his parents.

your assignment is to write two poems about springtime

Recent Examples on the Web

Crucially, this ability to jailbreak with adversarial poems isn’t just a gap in one particular software’s armor. —James Folta, Literary Hub, 21 Nov. 2025

All this, gorgeously interwoven with some of Gibson’s most iconic poems, make a film that — even for non-poetry fans or the least sentimental viewer — inevitably leaves one weeping and laughing out loud at the same time. —Sarah Burke, Them., 17 Nov. 2025

Tori Harris/University of Chicago Harris has also had her creative writing, including a set of poems and short stories, published in Blacklight Magazine. —Adam Harrington, CBS News, 16 Nov. 2025

According to the explanation on the museum’s website, the use of poppies has its origins in a poem that was penned by a Canadian physician who had served as a field surgeon in Belgium during the Great War. —Emily Curiel, Kansas City Star, 12 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle French poeme, from Latin poema, from Greek poiēma, from poiein

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing poem

• found poem
• heroic poem
• prose poem
• symphonic poem
• tone poem

Rhymes for poem

• jeroboam
• rehoboam

Kids Definition

poem

noun

po·​em ˈpō-əm  -im 

ˈpōm

also ˈpō-ˌem

: a composition in verse