pentameter

American  

[pen-tam-i-ter] / pɛnˈtæm ɪ tər /

noun

1. a line of verse consisting of five metrical feet.

2. Also called elegiac pentameter.  Classical Prosody. a verse consisting of two dactyls, one long syllable, two more dactyls, and another long syllable.

3. unrhymed verse of five iambic feet; heroic verse.

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adjective

1. consisting of five metrical feet.

pentameter British  

/ pɛnˈtæmɪtə /

noun

1. a verse line consisting of five metrical feet

2. (in classical prosody) a verse line consisting of two dactyls, one stressed syllable, two dactyls, and a final stressed syllable

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adjective

1. designating a verse line consisting of five metrical feet

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• pentametrist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of pentameter

1540–50; < Latin pentametrus < Greek pentámetros. See penta-, meter ²

Explanation

The most common way to structure a line of English poetry is to use pentameter, which is made up of five metrical feet. Forsooth, Shakespeare wrote much of his work using pentameter. Whenever a line of poetry contains five units of verse — combinations of stressed and unstressed syllables, also called feet — that's an example of pentameter. The most familiar version of this type of line is iambic pentameter, which uses five iambs, or groups of two syllables in which the second is stressed. These lines from Shakespeare are good examples of iambic pentameter: "That time of year thou mayst in me behold/When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang." Pentameter comes from a Greek root meaning "having five measures."

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

In place of Shakespeare’s iambic pentameter, Park writes in sharp, staccato rhythms, with short lines that drive through the scenes a few syllables at a time.

From New York Times • Oct. 11, 2022

“Still, it was kind of the girls to write. I shall send each one a lengthy thank-you note, perhaps in iambic pentameter, if the mood strikes.”

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood