free verse

noun

Definition of free versenext
as in poetry
verse that does not rhyme and does not have a regular rhythm The author's free verse has a unique rhythmic intensity.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of free verse The history of art reads here as one long, free verse poem-in-progress, gorgeous and absorbing. — Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026 Told in a first-person, free verse style, her struggle to overcome a family tragedy, an ecological catastrophe, and the Great Depression is harrowing yet hopeful. — Libby Monteith Minor, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2026 Though most of Milosz’s poetry was written in free verse, no effort has been made to force the English versions into the complicated poetic forms the poet sometimes preferred — that would have required a different sense of obligation. — William Logan, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025 The award-winning work, told through a mix of free verse and haiku, offers a poignant and nuanced look at a young person growing up Black in the nineteen-sixties and seventies, finding herself through the art of writing. — The New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2024 See All Example Sentences for free verse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for free verse
  1. poetry
  2. poem
  3. lyric
  4. blank verse
  5. rhyme
  6. song
Noun
  • Which brings me, finally, to the question of genre, and specifically, here, of poetry.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026
  • The original organization was created after the 1994 Men’s World Cup to allow kids to play in soccer teams for free while also developing literacy skills by writing poetry.
    — Delia Rose Sauer, Miami Herald, 11 July 2026
Definition of poetry
Noun
  • Filmed on special high-resolution IMAX film, Nolan spent approximately $3 million on 2 million feet of raw physical film stock on the nearly three-hour retelling of the ancient Greek poem.
    — Tania Azhang, Sacbee.com, 18 July 2026
  • The rapper, who has the small role of a bard in Nolan’s cinematic retelling of the Greek epic poem, weaves together Homer’s prose with modern lyricism on the ghostly track that alludes to Odysseus’ long journey.
    — Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 17 July 2026
Definition of poem
Noun
  • The lyrics take cues from electroclash’s nocturnal storytelling, while the production mixes screeching brostep, hyperpop, hard techno, and UKG.
    — Kiana Mickles, Pitchfork, 17 July 2026
  • Lest things get predictable, Tasjan’s adept at letting the music battle with the lyrics in a way that hints at how any experience is far more complex than we are led to believe.
    — Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 17 July 2026
Definition of lyric
Noun
  • The piece has the pattern of blank verse.
    — Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 27 Oct. 2025
  • But Kantor wrote it in blank verse — little help for the script.
    — Peter Bart, Deadline, 24 Apr. 2025
Definition of blank verse
Noun
  • The first half was a scrappy, testy affair with very little rhythm or rhyme from both teams.
    — Aleks Klosok, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
  • The conventions ground the writing as meter and rhyme steady a sonnet.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026
Definition of rhyme
Noun
  • There’s one more named Faith after the George Michael song she was conceived to.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 17 July 2026
  • Their songs crescendo in waves, surging like radio static, echoing like a drum.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 16 July 2026
Definition of song

Browse Nearby Words

free trade
free verse
free verses
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Cite this Entry

“Free verse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/free%20verse. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on free verse

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about free verse

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