iambic

American  

[ahy-am-bik] / aɪˈæm bɪk /

adjective

1. Prosody.

   1. pertaining to the iamb.

   2. consisting of or employing an iamb or iambs.

2. Greek Literature. noting or pertaining to satirical poetry written in iambs.

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noun

1. Prosody.

   1. an iamb.

   2. Usually iambics. a verse or poem consisting of iambs.

2. Greek Literature. a satirical poem in this meter.

iambic British  

/ aɪˈæmbɪk /

adjective

1. of, relating to, consisting of, or using an iamb or iambs

2. (in Greek literature) denoting a type of satirical verse written in iambs

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noun

1. a metrical foot, line, or stanza of verse consisting of iambs

2. a type of ancient Greek satirical verse written in iambs

Other Word Forms

• iambically adverb
• uniambic adjective

Etymology

Origin of iambic

1565–75; < Latin iambicus < Greek iambikós. See iambus, -ic

Explanation

An iambic line of prose or poetry is one that consists of iambs. Got it? No, well let's try: an iamb is two consecutive syllables where the first is unstressed, the second stresed, as in "de-DUM." It's that simple. What do you get if you put five iambs together? No, it's not a joke, it's iambic pentameter (penta from the Greek for "five") as in: "de-DUM, de-DUM, de-DUM, de-DUM, de-DUM." It sounds better as: "If MU-/-sic BE / the FOOD / of LOVE,/ play ON." Now that's poetry. If iambic pentameter was good enough for Shakespeare, Milton, and Donne, then maybe you should give it a try.

Example Sentences

The tone of “Memnon,” written in iambic hexameter, is direct, spare and cast in a tense of tragic inevitability.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 6, 2024

"This is the biggest mountain because I was always worried about the iambic pentameter, about blank verse, and not being trained as an actor," he says.

From BBC • Jun. 7, 2024

In 2010, Lee found herself on Broadway in a revival of “La Bête,” a comedy in iambic pentameter set in the 17th century and starring David Hyde Pierce and Joanna Lumley.

From New York Times • May 31, 2023

But LLMs have also managed to ace the bar exam, explain the Higgs boson in iambic pentameter, and make an attempt to break up their users’ marriage.

From Scientific American • May 11, 2023

“Well done! You are natural-born poets, each and every one of you. Of course, iambic pentameter should not be confused with anapestic tetrameter, as I am sure you already know. Would anyone care to demonstrate?”

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood