poetic
/pəʊˈet.ɪk/ IELTSAcademic
adjective
Having the beauty, feeling, or imagination often found in poetry. It can describe language, writing, music, or a scene that feels delicate and expressive.
- Her speech had a poetic quality.
- The mountain view was almost poetic.
- He uses poetic language in his essays.
Adinary Nuance
Poetic is close to beautiful, lyrical, and artistic, but it specifically suggests the kind of beauty that feels like poetry. Use beautiful for general attractiveness, and lyrical for flowing, musical language or writing. Poetic often sounds more expressive and imaginative than both. It can also describe a moment or image, not only actual poems.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- mang chất thơ
- Spanish
- poético
- Chinese
- 诗意的
- Japanese
- 詩的な
- Korean
- 시적인
Etymology
Poetic comes from Late Latin poeticus, from Greek poiētikos, meaning “of making poetry.” It entered English through French in the Middle English period.
Common phrases
poetic languagepoetic stylepoetic imagerypoetic justice
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is poetic a positive word?
- Usually, yes. It often suggests beauty, feeling, and imagination.
- What is the difference between poetic and lyrical?
- Poetic is broader and more literary. Lyrical often suggests smooth, musical expression.
- Can I use poetic for a person?
- Yes, if you mean the person speaks or writes in a beautiful, imaginative way.
- Is poetic common in academic writing?
- Yes, but mainly when discussing style, literature, or artistic language.