anapest

an·a·pest
A1N1A1P3E1S1T1
/ˈæ.nə.piːst//ˈæ.nə.pɛst/

noun

In qualitative metre, a foot with two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed final syllable.

Similar
antidactylantidactylusanapaest
OriginLatin anapaestus ← Ancient Greek ἀνάπαιστος →
Scrabble 9
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Meanings

nounanapest (plural anapests)

plural anapests · alternative UK anapaest · alternative archaic anapæst

  1. A metrical foot of three syllables of the shape | ⏖ – |:
    1. human sciencesIn qualitative metre, a foot with two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed final syllable.

      Synonyms: antidactyl, antidactylus

    2. human sciencesIn quantitative metre, a foot with two short syllables followed by a long final syllable.

      Synonyms: antidactyl, antidactylus

    3. transferred sensehuman sciencesAn excerpt of poetry or verse using this metre.

      Synonyms: antidactyl, antidactylus

Synonyms & antonyms

nounIn qualitative metre, a foot with two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed final syllable.

Similar
antidactylantidactylus

nounIn quantitative metre, a foot with two short syllables followed by a long final syllable.

Similar
antidactylantidactylus

nounAn excerpt of poetry or verse using this metre.

Similar
antidactylantidactylus

More synonyms by meaning

nouna metrical unit with unstressed-unstressed-stressed syllables

Similar
anapaest
Broader
metrical footfootmetrical unit

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekἀνάπαιστος“struck back, reversed [relative to dactyl]”
  2. Latinanapaestus
  3. Englishanapest

From Latin anapaestus, from Ancient Greek ἀνάπαιστος (anápaistos, “struck back, reversed [relative to dactyl]”), from ἀνά (aná, “back”) + παίω (paíō, “to strike”).

More words from Latin, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek ἀνάπαιστος
  • ἀνάπαιστος (anápaistos)metrical foot
Catalan anapest
  • anapestmetrical foot
Czech anapest
  • anapestmetrical foot
Danish anapest
  • anapestmetrical foot
Dutch anapest, anapest
  • anapestverse using this meter
  • anapestmetrical foot
Finnish anapesti
  • anapestimetrical foot
French anapeste
  • anapestemetrical foot
German Anapäst, Anapäst
  • Anapästverse using this meter
  • Anapästmetrical foot
Greek ανάπαιστος
  • ανάπαιστος (anápaistos)metrical foot
Irish anaipéist, anaipéist
  • anaipéistverse using this meter
  • anaipéistmetrical foot
Latin anapaestus
  • anapaestusmetrical foot
Norwegian Bokmål anapest
  • anapestmetrical foot
Polish anapest, anapest
  • anapestverse using this meter
  • anapestmetrical foot
  • antydaktylmetrical foot
Portuguese anapesto, anapesto
  • anapestoverse using this meter
  • anapestometrical foot
Russian ана́пест, ана́пест
  • ана́пест (anápest)verse using this meter
  • ана́пест (anápest)metrical foot
Spanish anapesto
  • anapestometrical foot
Swedish anapest
  • anapestmetrical foot

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

peasantPestanaTapanes
Cite this entry
APA

anapest. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anapest

MLA

“anapest.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anapest. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “anapest,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anapest.

Source: anapest on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.