# rhyme

/ˈɹaɪm/ (US) · /ɹˈaɪm/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/rhyme
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. matching sounds

noun · CEFR B1

the use of words that have the same ending sounds, especially in poems or songs.

For teachers: the correspondence of terminal sounds in words or lines of verse. Uncountable in this abstract sense.

- The children's book uses rhyme to make the story easier to remember.
- The poet's subtle use of internal rhyme creates a melodic quality that persists even when the meter becomes irregular.

### 2. a matching word

noun · CEFR B1

a specific word that sounds like another word.

For teachers: a word that corresponds with another in its terminal sound.

- Can you think of a rhyme for the word 'orange'?
- The songwriter struggled to find a perfect rhyme for the final line, eventually settling on a slant rhyme to maintain the emotional tone.

### 3. short poem

noun · CEFR B1

a short poem or piece of writing that uses matching sounds.

For teachers: a short piece of poetry or verse, often intended for children, characterized by regular rhyme and rhythm.

- She sang a simple nursery rhyme to help the baby fall asleep.
- The collection includes several traditional rhymes that have been passed down through oral history for centuries.

### 4. rap lyrics

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal · Slang

the lyrics or verses in a rap or hip-hop song.

For teachers: a rapped verse or the lyrical content of a hip-hop performance. Often used in the plural.

- The rapper spent all night writing new rhymes for his upcoming album.
- The artist is widely respected for his complex rhymes and his ability to maintain a flow over unconventional beats.

### 5. to sound the same

verb · CEFR B1

to have the same ending sound as another word.

For teachers: to have or terminate in the same vowel and consonant sounds. Intransitive, often taking the preposition 'with'.

- Does the word 'cat' rhyme with 'hat'?
- In English poetry, 'love' and 'move' are often treated as eye rhymes, though they do not actually rhyme in modern pronunciation.

### 6. to write verse

verb · CEFR B2

to write poems or lyrics that use matching sounds.

For teachers: to compose rhyming verse or to arrange words so that they rhyme.

- He liked to rhyme about his travels in his personal journal.
- The satirist rhymed his critiques of the government into catchy songs that were easily shared among the public.

## Examples

- The words 'blue' and 'shoe' are a perfect rhyme.
- The songwriter struggled to find a good rhyme for the word 'orange' and eventually changed the lyric.
- While modern poetry often avoids strict meter, traditional sonnets rely on a specific rhyme scheme to create a sense of structural resolution and musicality for the reader.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.