poetry

noun

ˈpō-ə-trē How to pronounce poetry (audio)
Definition of poetrynext
1
as in song
writing that uses rhythm, vivid language, and often rhyme to provoke an emotional response not all poetry has to rhyme

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rhetoric
the art or power of speaking or writing in a forceful and convincing way the speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King were filled with the kind of poetry that touches people of all races

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 poetry In November, Feygin plans to host an event at the Wende Museum in Culver City, inviting other writers to share essays and poetry about their connections to bathing culture. — Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026 Cadogan, a poetry lover, also worked with Laura Turner, creative producer at Beningbrough, to bring in a writer-in-residence. — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026 The proceedings included a Mexican wedding lasso tradition and a live poetry creation by Alexcia Panay. — Shelby Wax, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026 Dan Chiasson has been writing for the Review since 2009, focusing initially on new poetry collections and quickly expanding to include subjects as various as Keith Richards and Richard Linklater and Lydia Davis and the future of the humanities. — Dan Chiasson, The New York Review of Books, 20 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for poetry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poetry
  1. song
  2. rhetoric
  3. verse
  4. rhyme
  5. poesy
Noun
  • The Jamaican musical style grew from an encounter between African and European traditions, and its banjos, guitars, hand percussion, and rumba boxes accompanied dancing, drinking, storytelling, and songs about life’s daily irritations.
    — Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Per a bio, the sisters wrote hundreds of songs together and performed more than 1,000 concerts around North America and in Norway.
    — Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of song
Noun
  • Meanwhile, Rodríguez is already signaling an interest in working with Washington, despite some of her public rhetoric, tapping former opposition aide Oliver Blanco as foreign minister.
    — Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The schmaltzy rhetoric around nearly all of the works evidences a great desire for purpose, meaning, even dogma, but such things do not tend to emerge from entertainment or leisure practices so much as from constraint and necessity.
    — Kristian Vistrup Madsen, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of rhetoric
Noun
  • Everyone spitting dope ass verses, trying to keep up with each other.
    — Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 27 Oct. 2026
  • However, that shouldn’t stop Rihanna from joining Hov for a quick performance of the track’s opening verse and hook, as Rih’s appearance would follow her own headlining performance in 2023.
    — Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of verse
Noun
  • Unlike verses of later ballad traditions, collected in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Old English poets rarely used any kind of rhyme and appear not to have followed a regular meter or rhythm.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The rhyme scheme is typically abcb, which means the second and fourth lines end in the same rhyme (b).
    — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of rhyme
Noun
  • The collection evolved from there into Monica’s distinctive twist on some of her favorite antique and vintage pieces—charms, poesy rings and celestial motifs.
    — Beth Bernstein, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2022
  • Around my neck is my poesy ring 'adventure' necklace, with a locket holding my secret messages.
    — Will Kahn, Town & Country, 8 Mar. 2019
Definition of poesy

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Cite this Entry

“Poetry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poetry. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about poetry

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