Anapest

//ˈæ.nə.piːst// noun

noun ·Uncommon ·College level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    In qualitative meter, a metrical foot consisting of three syllables, the first two unstressed and the last one stressed.
  2. 2
    a metrical unit with unstressed-unstressed-stressed syllables wordnet
  3. 3
    In quantitative meter, a metrical foot consisting of three syllables, two short, then one long.
  4. 4
    A fragment, phrase or line of poetry or verse using this meter.

Synonyms

All synonyms
accentaccentuationalexandrineamphibrachamphimaceranacrusis

Etymology

From Latin anapaestus, from Ancient Greek ἀνάπαιστος (anápaistos, “struck back, reversed [relative to dactyl]”), from ἀνά (aná, “back”) + παίω (paíō, “I strike”).

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.