Word
poetic
Phoneticspo·et·ic, stress on the second syllable
US/poʊˈɛtɪk/
UK/pəʊˈɛtɪk/
Definitions
01relating to poetry
B2 · Upper Intermediate Literature Academic
adj. connected to the writing or study of poems.
adj. relating to the formal composition, structure, or study of poetry.
“The professor discussed the poetic techniques used in the 19th century.”
“The seminar focused on the evolution of poetic forms, specifically how modernists broke away from traditional meter and rhyme schemes.”
Usage
Often used to describe formal elements like meter, rhyme, or structure.
Synonyms
Antonyms
02beautiful or imaginative
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. having a beautiful or emotional quality, like a poem.
adj. possessing qualities of beauty, rhythm, or emotional resonance that evoke the feeling of poetry.
“The dancer's movements were so poetic that the audience stayed silent.”
“The director's use of slow motion and soft lighting gave the film a poetic quality that transcended its simple plot.”
Usage
Commonly used to describe prose, dance, or visual art that feels elevated or emotional.
Synonyms
03poetic justice
C1 · Advanced Literary
adj. used in the phrase 'poetic justice' to describe a situation where someone gets exactly what they deserve.
adj. occurring in the fixed expression 'poetic justice', referring to an outcome where vice is punished and virtue rewarded in an appropriate way.
“It was poetic justice when the thief's own car was stolen.”
“The antagonist's eventual downfall felt like poetic justice, as he was undone by the very schemes he had used to exploit others.”
Usage
Almost exclusively found in the collocation 'poetic justice'.
Etymology
From Middle French poetique, from Latin poeticus, from Ancient Greek ποιητικός (poiētikós) from ποιέω (poiéō, “make”). Doublet of poietic.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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