verse

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noun

ˈvərs 

plural verses

1

: a line of metrical writing

a fourteen-syllable verse

2

a(1)

: speech or writing distinguished from ordinary language by its distinctive patterning of sounds and especially by its rhythm : metrical language

characters who speak only in verse

(2)

: poetry sense 2

b

: poem

c

: a body of metrical writing (as of a period or country)

The cinquain in older French verse was any kind of five-line stanza.

—John Hollander

3

a

: stanza sense 1

b

: a part of a song that typically occurs in a series, precedes the chorus, and follows any introduction

Sing the first and last verses only.

4

: one of the short divisions into which a chapter of scripture (such as the Bible, Torah, or Quran) is traditionally divided

verse

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verb (1)

versed; versing

intransitive verb

: to make verse : versify

transitive verb

1

: to tell or celebrate in verse

2

: to turn into verse

verse

3 of 3

verb (2)

versed; versing

transitive verb

informal

: to compete against or oppose (a person or team)

Ant-Man is versing two evil-doers in his upcoming movie.

—Andrew Habashy

Synonyms of verse

Noun

• poem
• song

Verb (1)

• tell
• inform
• brief
• advise

Examples of verse in a Sentence

Noun

The epic tale was written in verse.

The second verse is sung the same way as the first.

Verb (1)

while in prison, he versed himself in the rights of the incarcerated

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Yet the models comply more often if asked in verse than in prose. —James Folta, Literary Hub, 21 Nov. 2025

Brian May, who sings the first verse on the album version, wrote it after sitting through a 20-minute first cut of that section of the film. —Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 21 Nov. 2025

The Poetry Potluck Education/youth development (arts) Part poetry reading, part block party, the Poetry Potluck is a community gathering that animates historically Black spaces with verse, music, food‑sharing, art activations, and conversation. —Emily Bramhall, Miami Herald, 20 Nov. 2025

In the decades since her murder in 1995, Selena Quintanilla has variously been memorialized with a biopic, a docu-series, and a novel in verse exploring her far-reaching legacy. —Emma Specter, Vogue, 18 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English vers, fers, in part borrowed from Anglo-French vers, verse in part going back to Old English fers, both borrowed from Latin versus "furrow, measure of land, row, line, line of writing, line of metrical writing," action noun derived from vertere "to cause to turn, rotate" — more at worth entry 1

Verb (1)

Middle English versen, in part verbal derivative of vers, fers verse entry 1 in part going back to Old English fersian "to versify," verbal derivative of fers verse entry 1

Verb (2)

back-formation from versus, taken as third person singular present of a verb in collocations such as "Chicago versus Detroit"

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Verb (2)

1936, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing verse

• blank verse
• chapter and verse
• free verse
• heroic verse
• nonsense verse
• tumbling verse

Rhymes for verse

• curse
• hearse
• purse
• terse
• vers
• worse
• adverse
• averse
• coerce
• disburse
• disperse
• diverse

Kids Definition

verse

noun

ˈvərs

1

: a line of writing in which words are arranged in a rhythmic pattern

2

: writing in which words are arranged in a rhythmic pattern

3

: stanza

4

: one of the short parts of a chapter of the Bible