poetaster

American  

[poh-it-as-ter] / ˈpoʊ ɪtˌæs tər /

noun

1. an inferior poet; a writer of indifferent verse.

   Synonyms:

   rhymester

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poetaster British  

/ -ˈteɪ-, ˌpəʊɪˈtæstə /

noun

1. a writer of inferior verse

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Other Word Forms

• poetastering noun
• poetasterism noun
• poetastery noun
• poetastric adjective
• poetastrical adjective
• poetastry noun

Etymology

Origin of poetaster

1590–1600; < Medieval Latin or New Latin; poet, -aster ¹

Example Sentences

Heti’s detractors could probably put a bottle in the middle of a table and entertain themselves reading lines out of context in suave, poetaster voices.

From New York Times • Feb. 7, 2022

He remained a hip poetaster, a psychedelic pushcart salesman hawking Oedipal nightmares like Good Humors.

From Time Magazine Archive

Because his words are impersonally grandiose instead of personally grand, Robinson Jeffers, who in another place and another time might have been a prophet, is here & now a vasty poetaster.

From Time Magazine Archive

Jeffers is a vasty poetaster, William Carlos Williams is a poetaster, Prokosch is an accomplished poetaster, Taggard is empty, nondescript, Donald Davidson is poeticulous, Fearing is a poeticule, say you.

From Time Magazine Archive

King Ludwig, himself at least a poetaster, hit upon a felicitous comparison, oft since reiterated, when he designated Overbeck the St. John and Cornelius the St. Paul in pictorial art.

From Overbeck by Atkinson, J. Beavington