sonnet

American  

[son-it] / ˈsɒn ɪt /

noun

1. Prosody. a poem, properly expressive of a single, complete thought, idea, or sentiment, of 14 lines, usually in iambic pentameter, with rhymes arranged according to one of certain definite schemes, being in the strict or Italian form divided into a major group of 8 lines (the octave) followed by a minor group of 6 lines (the sestet), and in a common English form into 3 quatrains followed by a couplet.

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verb (used without object)

1. Archaic. to compose sonnets.

verb (used with object)

1. Older Use. to celebrate in a sonnet or sonnets.

sonnet British  

/ ˈsɒnɪt /

noun

1. a verse form of Italian origin consisting of 14 lines in iambic pentameter with rhymes arranged according to a fixed scheme, usually divided either into octave and sestet or, in the English form, into three quatrains and a couplet

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verb

1. (intr) to compose sonnets

2. (tr) to celebrate in a sonnet

sonnet Cultural  

1. A lyric poem of fourteen lines, often about love, that follows one of several strict conventional patterns of rhyme. Elizabeth Barrett Browning, John Keats, and William Shakespeare are poets known for their sonnets.

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Other Word Forms

• outsonnet verb (used with object)
• sonnetlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of sonnet

1550–60; < Italian sonnetto < Old Provençal sonet, equivalent to son poem (< Latin sonus sound ¹ ) + -et -et

Explanation

A sonnet is a poem, often a love poem, of 14 rhyming lines. Is that a love letter from your secret admirer or a formal sonnet? The word sonnet comes from the Italian sonetto, meaning “little song.” The origin makes sense, since the first sonnets were developed by the Italian poet Petrarch. But the sonnet form we are most familiar with today is Shakespearean. Many of the most often quoted lines in poetry come from Shakespeare’s sonnets, such as this ending couplet from Sonnet 18, “So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.”

Example Sentences

When you can write a sonnet but can’t spell “strawberry,” you haven’t achieved intelligence.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 3, 2025

Underneath her outfit, “in a little bag next to her skin,” Vaill says, “she wore his little poem,” a love sonnet he’d written her during their courtship.

From Slate • Oct. 21, 2025

At Paul Revere Junior High, Russell won first place at a Shakespeare Festival for his sonnet recitation.

From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2025

"What Dr Veronese shows in her investigation of this new version is that the sonnet being understood in the context of Royalist politics – a long way from its role in modern weddings," she added.

From BBC • Mar. 4, 2025

“In Lit class I’m going to write you a sonnet about how nothing could possibly be gayer than writing your friend a haiku.”

From "Winger" by Andrew Smith

Related Words

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