free verse

noun

Definition of free versenext
as in poetry
verse that does not rhyme and does not have a regular rhythm The author's free verse has a unique rhythmic intensity.

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of free verse The history of art reads here as one long, free verse poem-in-progress, gorgeous and absorbing. — Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026 The poem’s narrative frequently shifts between different speakers and languages, and Eliot employed a range of styles and techniques, including free verse and stream of consciousness. — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 June 2026 Told in a first-person, free verse style, her struggle to overcome a family tragedy, an ecological catastrophe, and the Great Depression is harrowing yet hopeful. — Libby Monteith Minor, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2026 For Ginsberg, ever-attuned to the rhythmic physicality of verse, the central atom of poetry wasn’t the line or the foot, but rather the breath, emphasizing that his were longer than his free verse hero Whitman because the good, grey poet probably had smaller lungs. — Literary Hub, 3 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for free verse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for free verse
  1. poetry
  2. poem
  3. lyric
  4. blank verse
  5. rhyme
  6. song
Noun
  • The title character disdains the common folk, and the play’s complicated political discussion and harsh, jagged poetry aren’t what most picnicking playgoers are after.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
  • Not enough people look back to the ancient world, which is more associated with epic poetry about gods and war than prose compositions.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 June 2026
Definition of poetry
Noun
  • Spiro borrows part of that message from the famous poet Nikki Giovanni, who recorded her poem of that same name as a song in 1975 with producer Arif Mardin, making for the only sample or interpolation on the album.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 3 July 2026
  • Helena Bonham Carter, there’s a TikTok of her reading a Mary Oliver poem.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 3 July 2026
Definition of poem
Noun
  • The production was built entirely with AI tools, with Madhvani writing the multilingual lyrics alongside co-creators and composing the music through Suno, a leading AI music generation platform.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 July 2026
  • Swift has a massive global platform, and a tendency to pull back the curtain on her personal life in song lyrics and the occasional documentary.
    — Rachel Treisman, NPR, 3 July 2026
Definition of lyric
Noun
  • The piece has the pattern of blank verse.
    — Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 27 Oct. 2025
Definition of blank verse
Noun
  • The rhyme references a viral chant that has taken the internet by storm during the NBA Finals in which the Knicks are currently up 3-1 against the San Antonio Spurs.
    — Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 12 June 2026
  • It's got a lot going on, but there's a reason to every rhyme.
    — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 6 June 2026
Definition of rhyme
Noun
  • The search for the opening song stretched into the final weeks before filming, with Kittrell, Dries and pilot director Jason Moore trading ideas over text.
    — Angelina Mazza, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
  • That passion was evident throughout the evening as supporters periodically broke into song.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 3 July 2026
Definition of song

Browse Nearby Words

free trade
free verse
free verses
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Cite this Entry

“Free verse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/free%20verse. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on free verse

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about free verse

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