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

Some of Italy’s other big airports are named for historically famous Italians, such as Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci airport, Venice’s Marco Polo airport and Verona’s airport, named for the Latin poet Valerio Catullo. — Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026

Rumi is also the name of a very famous 13th-century Persian poet and mystic. — Sarah Scott, Parents, 24 Sep. 2026

This is daily clear to parents and parent-poets, who live in the funhouse-mirror world in cause-and-effect refract not just across their own bodies but over the lives of those closest to them. — Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2026

And yet that life seems to have come to a halt for Elif, a respected poet who’s been stuck in a rut for a long time. — Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 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