Meanings
nounpoetry (usually uncountable, plural poetries)
plural poetries · alternative archaic rare poëtry
- uncountableusuallyLiterature composed in verse or language exhibiting conscious attention to patterns and rhythm.
More people write poetry than read it.
2004, George Carlin, When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?, New York: Hyperion Books, →ISBN, →OCLC, →OL, page 263 - uncountableusuallyA poet's literary production.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounLiterature composed in verse or language exhibiting conscious attention to patterns and rhythm.
Opposite
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekποιητής“poet; author; maker”
- Medieval Latinpoētria
- Old Frenchpöeterie
- Middle Englishpoetrye
- Englishpoetry
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.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Medieval Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans digkuns, poësie
- digkunsliterature composed in verse
- poësieliterature composed in verse
Ancient Greek ποιητική, ποίησις
- ποιητική (poiētikḗ)literature composed in verse
- ποίησις (poíēsis)a poet's literary production
Arabic شِعْر
- شِعْر (šiʕr)literature composed in verse
Basque olerkigintza
- olerkigintzaliterature composed in verse
Bengali কবিতা
- কবিতা (kobita)literature composed in verse
Bulgarian пое́зия, пое́зия
- пое́зия (poézija)literature composed in verse
- пое́зия (poézija)a poet's literary production
- поети́чност (poetíčnost)poetical quality, artistic and/or artful, which appeals or stirs the imagination
Catalan poesia, poesia
- poesialiterature composed in verse
- poesiaa poet's literary production
- poeticitatpoetical quality, artistic and/or artful, which appeals or stirs the imagination
Chinese Mandarin 詩歌 /诗歌, 詩 /诗
- 詩歌 /诗歌 (shīgē)literature composed in verse
- 詩 /诗 (shī)literature composed in verse
- 詩意 /诗意 (shīyì)poetical quality, artistic and/or artful, which appeals or stirs the imagination
Czech poezie
- poezieliterature composed in verse
Danish poesi, digtekunst
- poesiliterature composed in verse
- digtekunstliterature composed in verse
- lyrikliterature composed in verse
- digtningliterature composed in verse
Dutch poëzie, dichtkunst
- poëzieliterature composed in verse
- dichtkunstliterature composed in verse
- poëziea poet's literary production
- dichtwerka poet's literary production
- poëziepoetical quality, artistic and/or artful, which appeals or stirs the imagination
Esperanto poezio
- poezioliterature composed in verse
Estonian luule
- luuleliterature composed in verse
Finnish runous
- runousliterature composed in verse
French poésie
- poésieliterature composed in verse
German Dichtkunst, Poesie
- Dichtkunstliterature composed in verse
- Poesieliterature composed in verse
Greek ποιητική, ποίηση
- ποιητική (poiitikí)literature composed in verse
- ποίηση (poíisi)literature composed in verse
- ποίηση (poíisi)a poet's literary production
- ποιήματα (poiímata)a poet's literary production
- ποίηση (poíisi)poetical quality, artistic and/or artful, which appeals or stirs the imagination
Hebrew שִׁירָה
- שִׁירָה (shirá)literature composed in verse
Hindi काव्य, कविता
- काव्य (kāvya)literature composed in verse
- कविता (kavitā)literature composed in verse
Hungarian költészet
- költészetliterature composed in verse
Icelandic ljóðlist
- ljóðlistliterature composed in verse
Indonesian puisi
- puisiliterature composed in verse
Irish filíocht
- filíochtliterature composed in verse
Italian poesia
- poesialiterature composed in verse
Japanese 詩, 詩歌
- 詩 (shi)literature composed in verse
- 詩歌 (shiika)literature composed in verse
Korean 시, 시가
- 시 (si)literature composed in verse
- 시가 (siga)literature composed in verse
Latin poesis
- poesisliterature composed in verse
Latvian dzeja
- dzejaliterature composed in verse
Lithuanian poèzija
- poèzijaliterature composed in verse
Malay puisi
- puisiliterature composed in verse
Māori toikupu
- toikupuliterature composed in verse
Norwegian Bokmål dikt, poesi
- diktliterature composed in verse
- poesiliterature composed in verse
Polish poezja, poezje
- poezjaliterature composed in verse
- poezjea poet's literary production
- poezjapoetical quality, artistic and/or artful, which appeals or stirs the imagination
Portuguese poesia, poesia
- poesialiterature composed in verse
- poesiapoetical quality, artistic and/or artful, which appeals or stirs the imagination
- poeticidadepoetical quality, artistic and/or artful, which appeals or stirs the imagination
Romanian poezie, poezia
- poezieliterature composed in verse
- poezialiterature composed in verse
Russian поэ́зия
- поэ́зия (poézija)literature composed in verse
Scottish Gaelic bàrdachd, bàrdachd
- bàrdachdliterature composed in verse
- bàrdachda poet's literary production
- bàrdachdpoetical quality, artistic and/or artful, which appeals or stirs the imagination
Slovak poézia, poézia
- poézialiterature composed in verse
- poéziapoetical quality, artistic and/or artful, which appeals or stirs the imagination
Spanish poesía, poesía
- poesíaliterature composed in verse
- poesíaa poet's literary production
- poeticidadpoetical quality, artistic and/or artful, which appeals or stirs the imagination
Swahili ushairi
- ushairiliterature composed in verse
Swedish poesi
- poesiliterature composed in verse
Tagalog panulaan
- panulaanliterature composed in verse
Tamil கவிதை
- கவிதை (kavitai)literature composed in verse
Thai กวีนิพนธ์
- กวีนิพนธ์ (gà-wii-ní-pon)literature composed in verse
Turkish şiir, şiir
- şiirliterature composed in verse
- şiira poet's literary production
Ukrainian пое́зія
- пое́зія (poézija)literature composed in verse
Urdu شِعْر, نَظْم
- شِعْر (śi'r)literature composed in verse
- نَظْم (nazm)literature composed in verse
- شاعِرِی (śā'irī)literature composed in verse
Vietnamese thơ ca, thi ca
- thơ caliterature composed in verse
- thi caliterature composed in verse
- thơliterature composed in verse
Welsh barddoniaeth, prydyddiaeth
- barddoniaethliterature composed in verse
- prydyddiaethliterature composed in verse
Yiddish דיכטונג, פּאָעזיע
- דיכטונג (dikhtung)literature composed in verse
- פּאָעזיע (poezye)literature composed in verse
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
poetry. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/poetry
MLA
“poetry.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/poetry. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “poetry,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/poetry.
Source: poetry on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.