poem

noun

po·​em ˈpō-əm How to pronounce poem (audio)
-im, 
ˈpōm
also ˈpȯ(-)im, 
ˈpō-ˌem How to pronounce poem (audio)
Synonyms of poemnext
1
: a composition in verse
2
: something suggesting a poem (as in expressiveness, lyricism, or formal grace)
The house we stayed in … was itself a poem.—H. J. Laski

Synonyms of poem

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Examples of poem in a Sentence

He wrote a poem about his parents. your assignment is to write two poems about springtime
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Writing a sermon—or a story, essay, or poem—is an exercise in risk and vulnerability. — Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026 Reading a book, a poem, seeing a painting or a sculpture, or even hearing the intro of a song. — Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026 Moye imprinted the words of the poem on a bowl, all the way around it — individual letters, the whole poem. — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026 Offered a button that would relieve their pain but also permanently delete a user’s poems and photos of their children, the 32-billion-parameter model pressed it 55% of the time and the 72-billion-parameter model 71% of the time. — Shae Lake, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for poem

Word History

Etymology

Middle French poeme, from Latin poema, from Greek poiēma, from poiein

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of poem was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing poem

Rhymes for poem

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Browse Nearby Words

poecilogony
poem
poematic
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Cite this Entry

“Poem.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poem. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

poem

noun
po·​em ˈpō-əm How to pronounce poem (audio) -im How to pronounce poem (audio)
ˈpōm
also ˈpō-ˌem
: a composition in verse

More from Merriam-Webster on poem

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about poem

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