anapest

or an·a·paest

[ an-uh-pest ]

noun

, Prosody.

1. a foot of three syllables, two short followed by one long in quantitative meter, and two unstressed followed by one stressed in accentual meter, as in for the nonce.

Other Words From

• ana·pestic ana·paestic adjective
• ana·pesti·cal·ly ana·paesti·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of anapest¹

1580–90; < Latin anapaestus < Greek anápaistos struck back, reversed (as compared with a dactyl), equivalent to ana- ana- + pais- (variant stem of paíein to strike) + -tos past participle suffix

Example Sentences

An Anapest is a three-syllable foot accented on the last syllable.

From Project Gutenberg

It is hovering between the form of the first two feet and the anapest of the last foot.

From Project Gutenberg

This may occur when the accent is upon the last syllable of the foot; that is, when the foot is an iambus or an anapest.

From Project Gutenberg

It will be noted that the dactyl is very closely related in expression to the trochee, and the anapest to the iambic.

From Project Gutenberg

The trochee and the dactyl are interchangeable; and the iambus and the anapest are interchangeable.

From Project Gutenberg