sonnet

[ son-it ]

noun

1. Prosody. a poem, properly expressive of a single, complete thought, idea, or sentiment, of 14 lines, usually in iambic pentameter, with rhymes arranged according to one of certain definite schemes, being in the strict or Italian form divided into a major group of 8 lines (the octave) followed by a minor group of 6 lines (the sestet), and in a common English form into 3 quatrains followed by a couplet.

verb (used without object)

1. Archaic. to compose sonnets.

verb (used with object)

1. Older Use. to celebrate in a sonnet or sonnets.

sonnet

/ ˈsɒnɪt /

noun

1. a verse form of Italian origin consisting of 14 lines in iambic pentameter with rhymes arranged according to a fixed scheme, usually divided either into octave and sestet or, in the English form, into three quatrains and a couplet

verb

1. intr to compose sonnets
2. tr to celebrate in a sonnet

sonnet

1. A lyric poem of fourteen lines, often about love, that follows one of several strict conventional patterns of rhyme . Elizabeth Barrett Browning , John Keats , and William Shakespeare are poets known for their sonnets.

Other Words From

• sonnet·like adjective
• outsonnet verb (used with object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of sonnet¹

1550–60; < Italian sonnetto < Old Provençal sonet, equivalent to son poem (< Latin sonus sound ¹ ) + -et -et

Word History and Origins

Origin of sonnet¹

C16: via Italian from Old Provençal sonet a little poem, from son song, from Latin sonus a sound

Example Sentences

It was a poetic ending for the man who named his company after a 19th-century sonnet about arrogance, hubris and pride laid low.

From Salon

Carpenter then purposefully make fun of the outrageousness of her desire for her partner, when she busts out a line from what feels like a Shakespearean sonnet, “Where art thou? Why not uponeth me?”

From Salon

It was also virtuosic, playing with forms from sonnets to the blues and a plethora of literary references.

From New York Times

This homespun feel makes the film sing: In this moment of Instagram filters, super-slick “content” and A.I.-generated sonnets, “Mattress” is bracingly rough and human.

From Seattle Times

You input a prompt and the model outputs nearly anything: a sonnet, an image or a legal brief riddled with lies.

From New York Times

Related Words

• ballad
• composition
• epic
• lyric
• poetry
• rhyme
• verse
• writing