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Definition of poetic adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

poetic

adjective
 
/pəʊˈetɪk/
 
/pəʊˈetɪk/
(also less frequent poetical
 
/pəʊˈetɪkl/
 
/pəʊˈetɪkl/
)
Idioms
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  1. [only before noun] connected with poetry; being poetry
    • poetic language
    • Byron’s Poetical Works
    Topics Literature and writingc1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • be
    • sound
    • wax
    • …
    adverb
    • very
    • wonderfully
    • truly
    • …
    See full entry
  2. (approving) like or suggesting poetry, especially because it shows imagination and deep feeling synonym lyrical
    • There is a poetic quality to her playing.
    Extra Examples
    • His writing is self-consciously poetic.
    • It's very easy to wax poetic about the sport of baseball.
    • The piece ends with a truly poetic slow movement.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • be
    • sound
    • wax
    • …
    adverb
    • very
    • wonderfully
    • truly
    • …
    See full entry
    3. Word Originmid 16th cent.: from French poétique, from Latin poeticus ‘poetic, relating to poets’, from Greek po(i)ētikos, from po(i)ētēs ‘maker, poet’, from poiein ‘create’.
Idioms
artistic/poetic licence
  1. the freedom of artists or writers to change facts in order to make a story, painting, etc. more interesting or beautifulTopics Literature and writingc2
See poetic in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee poetic in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: poetic

Nearby words

trait
noun
 
 
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