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

Other decisions are matters of policy: Should a translator preserve Shakespeare’s iambic pentameter?

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

The pair haven't been afraid to experiment over the years, having produced an entirely silent episode, one all in iambic pentameter and now, in the final series, an episode filmed from a doorbell camera.

From BBC • May 4, 2024

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

Many other lines in this poem are also iambic or trochaic, yet the subject matter is troubled.

From New York Times • Mar. 24, 2022

“Yes” “There are fourteen lines, I believe, all in iambic pentameter. That’s a very strict rhythm or meter, yes?”

From "A Wrinkle in Time" by Madeleine L'Engle