haiku

noun

Definition of haikunext
as in tanka

Related Words

Relevance

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 haiku Can a home furnishing-cabal haiku be far behind? — Pat Beall, Sun Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2026 Best of all are terrace bathtubs crafted from rocks or hinoki cypress wood, filled with hot spring onsen water—plus haiku-inspiring valley views. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Feb. 2026 Woodland features around 25,000 titles of poetry, small press literature, handmade works and the largest collection of haiku in North America. — Hannah Kirby, jsonline.com, 28 Jan. 2026 Whether from the literary rules of a haiku or the development of ferns, constraint can be a generator of form. — Jacob S. Suissa, The Conversation, 25 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for haiku
Recent Examples of Synonyms for haiku
  1. tanka
  2. senryu
  3. sonnet
  4. poetry
  5. limerick
  6. epigram
  7. elegy
  8. psalm
Noun
  • Matsumoto worked with collaborators to translate the book of tanka poems so everyone in her family could read them.
    — Myrna Petlicki, Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
  • Matsumoto said tanka is the oldest form of traditional Japanese poetry.
    — Myrna Petlicki, Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
Definition of tanka
Noun
  • The construction is the same -- three lines, 17 syllables, with five syllables in the first line, seven syllables in the second line and five syllables on the third line -- but the tone and subject matter of a senryu is different.
    — Mary Colurso | [email protected], al, 19 Nov. 2020
  • The event is open to anyone interested in learning about the modern haiku, senryu and haibun types of poetry, focusing on contemporary free verse forms, not the familiar five-seven-five-syllable structure.
    — Carole Goldberg, courant.com, 7 Aug. 2019
Definition of senryu
Noun
  • People can and should be skeptical about the sonnets written about starting NFL quarterbacks every offseason, when no one is getting sacked and almost everyone looks good.
    — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 30 July 2026
  • The conventions ground the writing as meter and rhyme steady a sonnet.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026
Definition of sonnet
Noun
  • The master told him to go and memorize a thousand lines of poetry.
    — Sabrina Jaszi, The Dial, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Poetic License, written by Raffi Donatich, follows a soon-to-be empty nester (Leslie Mann) who audits a college poetry class after her family moves to a small college town.
    — Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of poetry
Noun
  • The study picked 10 commercial large language models by top tech companies — including Meta, Anthropic and OpenAI — and asked the AI systems to make critical pamphlets, write limericks, give reasons if someone should join protests, and more.
    — Didi Tang, Fortune, 16 July 2026
  • He was also known for his haikus and limericks, including some written to summarize ethics.
    — Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 2 Apr. 2026
Definition of limerick
Noun
  • By greatly expanding the dimensions of his images, with their muted palettes, tight cropping, found symmetries, and laconic wit, had the maestro of the photographic epigram betrayed his subtractive aesthetic?
    — James Quandt, Artforum, 2 June 2026
  • Johnson is the author of the epigrams, but Boswell is very much the co-author.
    — David Frum, The Atlantic, 27 May 2026
Definition of epigram
Noun
  • But that selflessness comes to feel like the point of this lingering, resonantly sad film — above all else, an elegy for lives unseen and unknown.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 23 July 2026
  • What begins as a novel ostensibly about ‘cancel culture’ quickly shifts into a rueful elegy for a dying world.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026
Definition of elegy
Noun
  • But presiding over his daughter’s outdoor wedding helped, fulfilling another psalm’s promise.
    — Peter Smith, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
  • The word appears 71 times across 39 of the 150 psalms, especially in ones written by David.
    — Drew Goins, The Atlantic, 28 July 2026
Definition of psalm

Browse Nearby Words

ha-has
haiku
hail
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Haiku.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/haiku. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on haiku

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about haiku

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of nurture

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All