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

• 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

The most transformative tables are those where people think differently and where pragmatists sit beside poets and skeptics challenge visionaries. —Natalie Silverman, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025

Only his near contemporary, the American modernist poet Wallace Stevens (who survived into old age), who weirdly enough also was a lawyer for an insurance company, rivals Kafka in terms of the inverse proportion of literary originality and canonical significance to dullness of life story. —Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2025

When the Book‑of‑the‑Month Club was launched in 1926, the very first main selection of its judges was a Viking book—Lolly Willowes, a debut work of fiction by the British novelist, short story writer, and poet Sylvia Townsend Warner (1893–1978). —Paul Slovak september 8, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2025

At the end of the historic galleries, where light begins pouring into the building, visitors move above ground and pass by a quote from poet and Civil Rights activist Langston Hughes. —Christopher Cann, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2025

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