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

Ferlinghetti’s friendship with Jack Kerouac — and his invitations to escape the Bay Area for the solitude of the Big Sur coast — tied the poet and the novelist to the same stretch of rugged landscape that still draws tourists and artists today. — David Caraccio updated July 13, Sacbee.com, 13 July 2026

Speaking from beyond the grave, Andy Warhol talks with Jasper Dean about the latter’s love for Beat poets and Cameron Winter. — Cassidy Sollazzo, Pitchfork, 13 July 2026

His mentor in this essentially comic predicament was his estranged father, the poet James Wright. — Dan Chiasson, New Yorker, 13 July 2026

In the spring of 1983, the poet Eileen Myles went for a walk with their friend Tom in Manhattan. — Literary Hub, 13 July 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