haiku

American  

[hahy-koo] / ˈhaɪ ku /

noun

plural

haiku

1. a major form of Japanese verse, written in 17 syllables divided into 3 lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables, and employing highly evocative allusions and comparisons, often on the subject of nature or one of the seasons.

2. a poem written in this form.

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haiku British  

/ ˈhaɪkuː /

noun

1. an epigrammatic Japanese verse form in 17 syllables

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haiku Cultural  

1. A form of Japanese poetry. A haiku expresses a single feeling or impression and contains three unrhymed lines of five, seven, and five syllables, respectively.

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Usage

What does haiku mean? Haiku is a traditional style of Japanese poetry in which 17 syllables are written in three lines, with the first line containing five syllables, the second line containing seven, and the third line containing five. The word haiku is also commonly used to refer to a poem written in this way. The plural is haiku, though it’s common to see people casually refer to haikus. For example:Haiku are poems. (five syllables)Haiku always have three lines (seven syllables)They often don’t rhyme. (five syllables)Traditional Japanese haiku often use natural subjects or imagery. This often involves using specific words that represent the seasons. However, for English speakers, haiku has become a popular style of poetry that can be about anything. Many people use haiku as a form for creating funny, entertaining, or absurd poems, using the 5-7-5 syllable format as a kind of challenge or guiding principle.

Etymology

Origin of haiku

First recorded in 1895–1900; from Japanese, from hai(kai) haikai + ku “stanza”; see hokku

Explanation

A haiku is a three-line poem where the first line has five syllables, the second has seven, and the third has five. The style originated in Japan, and while anything can be the subject, most traditional haiku are about nature. Here’s a haiku: "If you can’t pronounce / the word haiku, remember / big HIGH, little coo." The word haiku is a shortened version of the Japanese phrase haikai no ku, which translates as “light verse.” Most haiku are simple poems, often about natural wonders. They don’t always need to follow the 5-7-5 syllable rule, like this haiku from 17th-century samurai poet Masahide: "Barn’s burnt down — / now / I can see the moon."

Example Sentences

Generative AI feels like magic: It can churn out a sales strategy or write a haiku about yogurt.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 24, 2026

A haiku by the famous Japanese poet Matsuo Bashō reads, “a caterpillar / this deep in fall / still not a butterfly.”

From Science Magazine • Apr. 4, 2024

To further his point, Mr Beauchamp then convinced the chatbot to criticise DPD in the form of a haiku, a Japanese poem.

From BBC • Jan. 19, 2024

She kind of tried every form: There are sonnets, poems that are sort of like haiku, everything.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 19, 2023

The science project Jessie had made was resting on the side table next to the sofa where Oliver’s letter and his haiku lay on the armrest.

From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser

Related Words

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