poet

noun

ˈpō-ət How to pronounce poet (audio)
Definition of poetnext
as in minstrel
a person who writes poetry Emily Dickinson is famous as the poet who rarely left the house but often journeyed to the depths of the human heart

Synonyms & Similar 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 poet Morgenthau left Coburg hoping to become a writer or poet but was forced to pivot to law after hyperinflation ruined his family’s finances. — David Sacks, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 2026 The title actually from my friend, who is a Croatian poet, Marko Pogacar. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 6 Nov. 2026 The lights then faded to black as songwriter and poet Meshell Ndegeocello wove through the galley tables, serenading McQueen to the soft strum of guitars. — Ari Stark, Footwear News, 3 Nov. 2026 Thus begins a lyrical profile of notable Georgia poet Byron Herbert Reece. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 2 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for poet
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poet
  1. minstrel
  2. muse
  3. bard
Noun
  • Last month, retailer Target pulled a children’s Halloween costume from its shelves after widespread social media backlash, apologizing for selling a garment that critics said evoked racist minstrel caricatures.
    — Dave Collins, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026
  • In August, discount retailer Target stopped selling a children's Halloween costume that some critics said evoked racist minstrel caricatures, The Associated Press reported.
    — Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of minstrel
Noun
  • In all sorts of ways, from the character of Baum’s music to the show-stealing sassy sidekicks, Wanted is channeling the Mouse House during its second golden age of animation, the era of Simba, Aladdin, and the muses of Hercules.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2026
  • Tran grew up road-tripping with her family with memories of her father’s Cadillac DeVille, which is the muse behind the restaurant’s name.
    — Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of muse
Noun
  • Variations in form and narrative However, many poets, bards, and troubadours experimented with form to create ballads featuring more than four lines in a stanza and different rhyme schemes or meters.
    — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Oct. 2026
  • In that sense, Deutsch, 51, wants to be the bard of Chicago, in part by leading by example.
    — Mark Caro, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of bard

Browse Nearby Words

poesy
poet
poetaster
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Poet.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poet. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on poet

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about poet

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of lissome

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

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

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Nov. 13

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
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
speech-bubble-untangle
Simplify The Convoluted Expression Quiz A quiz that’s as “uncomplicated as a round de...
See All