noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈpəʊ.ɪ.tɹi/
General-American:/ˈpoʊ.ə.tɹi/
General-American:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
South-Asia:/pɵˈjɛʈ.ri/
CMU ARPABET:P OW1 AH0 T R IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
Literature composed in verse or language exhibiting conscious attention to patterns and rhythm.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: poesy, verse, song
Antonyms: prose
2
noun
Meaning 2
A poet's literary production.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
An artistic quality that appeals to or evokes the emotions, in any medium; something having such a quality.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, uncountable, usually
Examples
That 'Swan Lake' choreography is poetry in motion, fitting the musical poetry of Tchaikovski's divine score well beyond the literary inspiration.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
literature in metrical form
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
any communication resembling poetry in beauty or the evocation of feeling
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: expressive style, style
History
Etymology
From Middle English poetrye, poetrie, a borrowing from Old French pöeterie, pöetrie, from Medieval Latin poētria, from poēta (“poet”), from Ancient Greek ποιητής (poiētḗs, “poet; author; maker”). Displaced native Old English lēoþcræft.
Across languages
Translations
171 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
digkuns
— literature composed in verse
Afrikaans:
poësie
— literature composed in verse
Albanian:
poezi
— literature composed in verse
Albanian:
poezia
— literature composed in verse
Arabic:
شِعْر
(šiʕr)
— literature composed in verse
Arabic:
شعر
(šiʕr)
— literature composed in verse
Aragonese:
poesía
— literature composed in verse
Armenian:
պոեզիա
(poezia)
— literature composed in verse
Armenian:
բանաստեղծություն
(banasteġcutʻyun)
— literature composed in verse
Aromanian:
puizii
— literature composed in verse
Aromanian:
puizia
— literature composed in verse
Assamese:
কবিতা
(kobita)
— literature composed in verse
Asturian:
poesía
— literature composed in verse
Azerbaijani:
şeir
— literature composed in verse
Azerbaijani:
poeziya
— literature composed in verse
Bashkir:
шиғриәт
(şiğriət)
— literature composed in verse
Basque:
olerkigintza
— literature composed in verse
Belarusian:
паэ́зія
(paézija)
— literature composed in verse
Bengali:
কবিতা
(kobita)
— literature composed in verse
Breton:
barzhoniezh
— literature composed in verse
Bulgarian:
пое́зия
(poézija)
— literature composed in verse
Burmese:
ကဗျာ
(ka.bya)
— literature composed in verse
Catalan:
poesia
— literature composed in verse
Cebuano:
balak
— literature composed in verse
Chakma:
𑄇𑄧𑄝𑄨𑄖
(kabitā)
— literature composed in verse
Chinese:
歌詩 /歌诗
(zh-min-nan)
— literature composed in verse
Chinese:
詩歌 /诗歌
(si-koa)
— literature composed in verse
Chinese Mandarin:
詩歌 /诗歌
(shīgē)
— literature composed in verse
Chinese Mandarin:
詩 /诗
(shī)
— literature composed in verse
Cornish:
bardhonieth
— literature composed in verse
Cornish:
prydydhieth
— literature composed in verse
Corsican:
puesia
— literature composed in verse
Czech:
poezie
— literature composed in verse
Danish:
poesi
— literature composed in verse
Danish:
digtekunst
— literature composed in verse
Danish:
lyrik
— literature composed in verse
Danish:
digtning
— literature composed in verse
Dutch:
poëzie
— literature composed in verse
Dutch:
dichtkunst
— literature composed in verse
Esperanto:
poezio
— literature composed in verse
Estonian:
luule
— literature composed in verse
Faroese:
skaldskapur á bundnum máli
— literature composed in verse
Faroese:
yrkingarlist
— literature composed in verse
Finnish:
runous
— literature composed in verse
French:
poésie
— literature composed in verse
Galician:
poesía
— literature composed in verse
Georgian:
პოეზია
(ṗoezia)
— literature composed in verse
German:
Dichtkunst
— literature composed in verse
German:
Poesie
— literature composed in verse
Greek:
ποιητική
(poiitikí)
— literature composed in verse
Greek:
ποίηση
(poíisi)
— literature composed in verse
Ancient Greek:
ποιητική
(poiētikḗ)
— literature composed in verse
Hebrew:
שִׁירָה
(shirá)
— literature composed in verse
Hindi:
काव्य
(kāvya)
— literature composed in verse
Hindi:
कविता
(kavitā)
— literature composed in verse
Hungarian:
költészet
— literature composed in verse
Icelandic:
ljóðlist
— literature composed in verse
Ido:
poezio
— literature composed in verse
Indonesian:
puisi
— literature composed in verse
Irish:
filíocht
— literature composed in verse
Italian:
poesia
— literature composed in verse
Japanese:
詩
(shi)
— literature composed in verse
Japanese:
詩歌
(shiika)
— literature composed in verse
Kannada:
ಕವನ
(kavana)
— literature composed in verse
Kapampangan:
kauatasan
— literature composed in verse
Kapampangan:
keuatasan
— literature composed in verse
Kapampangan:
kawatasan
— literature composed in verse
Kapampangan:
kewatasan
— literature composed in verse
Karakalpak:
poeziya
— literature composed in verse
Kazakh:
поэзия
(poéziä)
— literature composed in verse
Khmer:
កំណាព្យ
(kɑmnaap)
— literature composed in verse
Korean:
시
(si)
— literature composed in verse
Korean:
시가
(siga)
— literature composed in verse
Northern Kurdish:
helbest
— literature composed in verse
Kyrgyz:
поэзия
(poeziya)
— literature composed in verse
Lao:
ກາບກອນ
(kāp kǭn)
— literature composed in verse
Latin:
poesis
— literature composed in verse
Latvian:
dzeja
— literature composed in verse
Lithuanian:
poèzija
— literature composed in verse
Luxembourgish:
Poesie
— literature composed in verse
Macedonian:
пое́зија
(poézija)
— literature composed in verse
Malay:
puisi
— literature composed in verse
Malayalam:
കവിത
(kavita)
— literature composed in verse
Māori:
toikupu
— literature composed in verse
Marathi:
काव्य
(kāvya)
— literature composed in verse
Mongolian:
шүлэг
(šüleg)
— literature composed in verse
Nepali:
कविता
(kavitā)
— literature composed in verse
Norwegian Bokmål:
dikt
— literature composed in verse
Norwegian Bokmål:
poesi
— literature composed in verse
Norwegian Nynorsk:
poesi
— literature composed in verse
Occitan:
poesia
— literature composed in verse
Odia:
କବିତା
(kabitā)
— literature composed in verse
Old English:
lēoþcræft
— literature composed in verse
Oromo:
walaloo
— literature composed in verse
Ossetian:
поэзи
(poèzi)
— literature composed in verse
Dari:
شِعْر
(ši'r)
— literature composed in verse
Dari:
نَظْم
(nazm)
— literature composed in verse
Iranian Persian:
شِعْر
(še'r)
— literature composed in verse
Iranian Persian:
نَظْم
(nazm)
— literature composed in verse
Polish:
poezja
— literature composed in verse
Portuguese:
poesia
— literature composed in verse
Rohingya:
cáaeri
— literature composed in verse
Romanian:
poezie
— literature composed in verse
Romanian:
poezia
— literature composed in verse
Russian:
поэ́зия
(poézija)
— literature composed in verse
Samogitian:
puoezėjė
— literature composed in verse
Sanskrit:
कविता
(kavitā)
— literature composed in verse
Scottish Gaelic:
bàrdachd
— literature composed in verse
Serbo-Croatian:
по̀е̄зија
— literature composed in verse
Serbo-Croatian:
пе̏снӣштво
— literature composed in verse
Serbo-Croatian:
пје̏снӣштво
— literature composed in verse
Serbo-Croatian:
pòēzija
— literature composed in verse
Serbo-Croatian:
pȅsnīštvo
— literature composed in verse
Serbo-Croatian:
pjȅsnīštvo
— literature composed in verse
Sikkimese:
སྙན་ངག
(snyan ngag)
— literature composed in verse
Slovak:
poézia
— literature composed in verse
Slovene:
pesništvo
— literature composed in verse
Slovene:
poezija
— literature composed in verse
Southern Altai:
ӱлгерлик
(ülgerlik)
— literature composed in verse
Spanish:
poesía
— literature composed in verse
Swahili:
ushairi
— literature composed in verse
Swedish:
poesi
— literature composed in verse
Tagalog:
panulaan
— literature composed in verse
Tajik:
назм
(nazm)
— literature composed in verse
Tamil:
கவிதை
(kavitai)
— literature composed in verse
Tatar:
шигърият
(şiğriyät)
— literature composed in verse
Telugu:
కవిత
(kavita)
— literature composed in verse
Telugu:
కవిత్వం
(kavitvaṁ)
— literature composed in verse
Thai:
กวีนิพนธ์
(gà-wii-ní-pon)
— literature composed in verse
Turkish:
şiir
— literature composed in verse
Turkmen:
goşgy
— literature composed in verse
Turkmen:
şygyr
— literature composed in verse
Ukrainian:
пое́зія
(poézija)
— literature composed in verse
Urdu:
شِعْر
(śi'r)
— literature composed in verse
Urdu:
نَظْم
(nazm)
— literature composed in verse
Urdu:
شاعِرِی
(śā'irī)
— literature composed in verse
Uzbek:
sheʻriyat
— literature composed in verse
Uzbek:
poeziya
— literature composed in verse
Vietnamese:
thơ ca
— literature composed in verse
Vietnamese:
thi ca
— literature composed in verse
Vietnamese:
thơ
— literature composed in verse
Volapük:
poedav
— literature composed in verse
Welsh:
barddoniaeth
— literature composed in verse
Welsh:
prydyddiaeth
— literature composed in verse
Yiddish:
דיכטונג
(dikhtung)
— literature composed in verse
Yiddish:
פּאָעזיע
(poezye)
— literature composed in verse
Bashkir:
шиғриәт
(şiğriət)
— a poet's literary production
Bulgarian:
пое́зия
(poézija)
— a poet's literary production
Catalan:
poesia
— a poet's literary production
Dutch:
poëzie
— a poet's literary production
Dutch:
dichtwerk
— a poet's literary production
Galician:
poesía
— a poet's literary production
Greek:
ποίηση
(poíisi)
— a poet's literary production
Greek:
ποιήματα
(poiímata)
— a poet's literary production
Ancient Greek:
ποίησις
(poíēsis)
— a poet's literary production
Polish:
poezje
— a poet's literary production
Scottish Gaelic:
bàrdachd
— a poet's literary production
Spanish:
poesía
— a poet's literary production
Turkish:
şiir
— a poet's literary production
Bulgarian:
поети́чност
(poetíčnost)
— poetical quality, artistic and/or artful, which appeals or stirs the imagination
Catalan:
poeticitat
— poetical quality, artistic and/or artful, which appeals or stirs the imagination
Chinese Mandarin:
詩意 /诗意
(shīyì)
— poetical quality, artistic and/or artful, which appeals or stirs the imagination
Dutch:
poëzie
— poetical quality, artistic and/or artful, which appeals or stirs the imagination
Galician:
poeticidade
— poetical quality, artistic and/or artful, which appeals or stirs the imagination
Greek:
ποίηση
(poíisi)
— poetical quality, artistic and/or artful, which appeals or stirs the imagination
Polish:
poezja
— poetical quality, artistic and/or artful, which appeals or stirs the imagination
Portuguese:
poesia
— poetical quality, artistic and/or artful, which appeals or stirs the imagination
Portuguese:
poeticidade
— poetical quality, artistic and/or artful, which appeals or stirs the imagination
Scottish Gaelic:
bàrdachd
— poetical quality, artistic and/or artful, which appeals or stirs the imagination
Slovak:
poézia
— poetical quality, artistic and/or artful, which appeals or stirs the imagination
Spanish:
poeticidad
— poetical quality, artistic and/or artful, which appeals or stirs the imagination
