as in poet
a person who writes poetry
she's a poetaster whose verse never rises above what is found on greeting cards
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Recent Examples of poetaster
Heti’s detractors could probably put a bottle in the middle of a table and entertain themselves reading lines out of context in suave, poetaster voices.
—
New York Times, 7 Feb. 2022
But -aster words have never been particularly common, with the exception of poetaster, an inferior poet.
—Melissa Mohr, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 June 2018
New York Times, 7 Feb. 2022
But -aster words have never been particularly common, with the exception of poetaster, an inferior poet.
—Melissa Mohr, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 June 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poetaster
Noun
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In her introduction of the ordinances, Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas drew a direct tie between the ordinances and the violence in Minneapolis, where ICE agents have killed Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old poet and mother of three, and Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old Veterans Affairs ICU nurse.—
Chase Hunter,
Mercury News,
29 Jan. 2026
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This quote by 13th-century poet Rumi appears midway through psychologist Marshall Rosenberg’s Nonviolent Communication.—
Jasna Hodžić,
Big Think,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Louis Weslyn and Charles Albert wrote a horrifically racist blackface minstrel song called The Witch Behind the Moon that included lyrics about a Black witch who lived behind the moon and could fly down on her broomstick to snatch up children.—
Time,
Time,
21 Nov. 2025
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During his years at IU, Hickerson frequently performed on and off campus, including stints as a strolling minstrel at the annual Madrigal Dinner, as well as gigs singing folk songs at the B’nai B’rith Hillel Foundation chapter.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
26 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Poetaster.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poetaster. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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