Finding the perfect poetic words to convey your point can be challenging; browse our list of poetic words to find the perfect phrase to convey your feelings.
Whether your poetry rivals that of Edgar Allan Poe or you’re trying to figure out iambic pentameter for the first time, poetry is a popular medium for all writers who want to get their feelings across in a way that goes beyond standard prose. Writing poetry is tough, and having a go-to list of words or reading some of the best poetry books can spark your inspiration and be a great way to get started.
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What Are Poetic Words?
You likely already know that we’re about to give you the most frustrating answer of all time: it depends! Poets are known for breaking the rules, and poetic words can be whatever you want them to be. Some words are known for evoking emotion, painting a picture of a scene, or creating connotations that can help describe a person’s character. Checking out poetic words can also help inspire when experiencing writer’s block, especially if you’re unsure how to name the emotion you want to convey in your prose.
| Admire | Dreary | Nefarious |
| Adored | Dull | Nonchalant |
| Allegiance | Elation | Parody |
| Ambiguity | Eloquent | Petrichor |
| Apoplectic | Enchanting | Picturesque |
| Ballad | Ephemeral | Propinquity |
| Beloved | Epiphany | Resonant |
| Bliss | Evanescent | Sanguine |
| Bombinate | Exhilaration | Scorn |
| Cacophony | Felicity | Seething |
| Cherish | Festooned | Serendipity |
| Cloudy | Frenetic | Serene |
| Compelling | Henceforth | Silhouette |
| Contempt | Hostility | Sonder |
| Contentment | Illicit | Sun-drenched |
| Crisp | Incendiary | Towering |
| Decrepit | Ineffable | Tranquility |
| Delight | Irony | Untoward |
| Delirium | Joviality | Vast |
| Devotedly | Languid | Wherewithal |
| Disgust | Lissome | |
| Doting | Mercurial |
Positive Poetic Words
Whether you’re writing a poem about love, a positive experience, hope, or beautiful universal truths, using positive poetic words can help create feelings of warmth. Poetic words are best used sparingly, as overusing them can muddle the message you’re working to convey to your reader. Check out our list of pretty words.
1. Admire
She couldn’t help but admire the prince as he took his place on the throne.
2. Adored
It was clear to his family and friends that he simply adored her, and flying across the country for her birthday party showed it.
3. Ballad
The newly married couple swayed back and forth as the ballad played in the background.
4. Beloved
“You are my beloved, no matter what,” said the man at the airport to his wife as she dropped him off.
5. Bliss
Melanie relaxed in the chair on the deck, feeling like she was in a state of pure bliss.
6. Cherish
“I’ll cherish this forever,” Donna said to her mother after she unwrapped the heirloom earrings she was given for her birthday.
7. Compelling
His argument was compelling, and she decided it made sense to give him a chance to go on a second date.
8. Contentment
The sense of contentment Aliyah felt as she held her newborn baby was unlike anything she’d ever experienced, as she was so tired yet perfectly calm.
9. Delight
The puppy was a pure delight, and the parents couldn’t believe how thrilled their children were to receive a fluffy new friend on Christmas morning.
10. Devotedly
She devotedly stayed by her father’s bedside as his condition deteriorated and vowed to be there until his very last day.
11. Doting
He was a doting father, carefully ensuring his new son’s bottles were prepared, and his hair was combed nicely.
12. Elation
She felt a sense of elation as they drove over the hill, and the Ferris wheel of the amusement park finally came into view.
13. Eloquent
Brittany was known for her eloquent speeches, and the crowd waited anxiously to hear what she would say as she walked up to the podium.
14. Enchanting
The café was enchanting, and the twinkle of white lights and the wafting smell of coffee only added to the ambiance.
15. Exhilaration
Austin felt a sense of exhilaration as he reached the end of his training run and imagined himself standing on the podium at the Olympics.
16. Felicity
The family fell into a state of felicity in their new home, enjoying dinner on the patio followed by their evening walk.
17. Ineffable
The size of the ocean was ineffable, and Dominique loved staring over the blue water, remembering just how small she was.
18. Joviality
His joviality made him magnetic; even those closest to him struggled to remember a time when he was anything but happy.
19. Lissome
She looked lissome in her dress and was glad she chose a smaller size to compliment her figure.
20. Picturesque
The picturesque beauty of the Adirondacks had to be seen to be believed, according to the tour guide.
21. Sanguine
The CEO felt sanguine about the company’s future, as things had finally begun to turn around in the year prior.
22. Serendipity
They met by serendipity; their flights to different corners of the world just happened to be leaving Chicago simultaneously.
23. Serene
The serene landscape of the lake made it easy for the family to relax and forget all they had been through over the past year.
24. Tranquility
The ocean view made Tom feel a sense of true tranquility.
Neutral Poetic Words
These words have a certain rhythm that lends them to poetry but are emotionally ambiguous, allowing you to use them to balance the more intense aspects of your prose.
25. Allegiance
Teresa felt a strong allegiance to the company, as they had supported her during hard times.
26. Ambiguity
She was purposely ambiguous when he asked whether she still loved him, as she wasn’t sure of the correct answer.
27. Bombinate
The bombinating coffee machine had the entire office waiting to try the new flavor the boss picked up over the weekend.
28. Crisp
As she sat on the porch and laced up her sneakers, she couldn’t help but smile as she felt the crisp breeze that meant fall was just around the corner.
29. Ephemeral
The cronut trend was ephemeral and disappeared after a few months, but it was delicious while it lasted.
30. Epiphany
When she woke up, she had a beautiful epiphany; if she wanted to move to the coast, she could make it happen.
31. Festooned
She festooned her balcony with hanging baskets and a new patio set.
32. Frenetic
While her teaching methods were solid, her pace was frenetic, and her students struggled to keep up.
33. Henceforth
The local HOA declared that henceforth, no one could put their trash at the edge of their driveway more than 24 hours before pickup.
34. Irony
She felt a profound sense of irony when she realized the laws she had fought so hard to enact would work against her in her current predicament.
35. Mercurial
Like most teenagers, her mood was mercurial and could change at any moment.
36. Nonchalant
The rabbit was decidedly nonchalant as he munched away at the clover in front of the museum.
37. Parody
The movie was a parody of the original version, and moviegoers loved seeing all the inside jokes from their favorite films.
38. Petrichor
She opened the windows in her kitchen to let the petrichor air that accompanied the thunderstorm enter her house.
39. Propinquity
Her propinquity to her neighbors meant she always had someone to depend on in a pinch.
40. Resonant
The church bells were resonant at noon and could be heard echoing throughout all of the village.
41. Silhouette
He noticed her slender silhouette even before he noticed her beautiful face.
42. Sonder
Walking alongside the ocean, he was met with a sense of wonder, thinking about everyone else who had walked the same path.
43. Sun-drenched
The sun-drenched backyard was the perfect place for the friends to try out their new water guns for the first time.
44. Towering
At 7’2″, Brandon was towering over every member of the opposing team.
45. Wherewithal
Kendra wasn’t sure she had the wherewithal to attend a family reunion following a 24-hour nursing shift.
46. Vast
The vast prairie landscape was pleasantly overwhelming, as the wheat fields stretched as far as the eye could see.
Negative Poetic Words
Many people use poetry to express negative emotion, and the words listed here can help you invite your reader into your feelings. Incorporate these words into your poetry when you want to paint a picture of anger, sadness, grief, or another emotion.
47. Apoplectic
Billy was apoplectic with rage when he learned he’d been passed up for the promotion he’d been working for over the past year.
48. Cacophony
The cacophony of the play area made it almost impossible for the babysitter to think straight.
49. Cloudy
She knew she couldn’t trust her feelings at the moment; they were too cloudy.
50. Contempt
Despite her efforts to forgive, Andrea was full of contempt for her former best friend after learning of the lies she’d spread.
51. Decrepit
The decrepit old house was supposedly haunted, but Megan and her cousin Lynn decided to explore anyway.
52. Delirium
Naomi felt like she was entering a state of delirium as the anesthesia began to take effect, but thankfully, she drifted off to sleep quickly.
53. Disgust
“I’m disgusted,” the teacher said when addressing the class about their behavior with the substitute teacher over the past week.
54. Dreary
The dreary sky matched Matt’s mood, as he was feeling down about the negative review he got at work the previous day.
55. Dull
Ian was downright dull, and he made no effort to add any type of excitement to his life.
56. Evanescent
The bubbles the children blew were delightfully evanescent, bursting just before they drifted out of sight.
57. Hostility
The hostility in the room was palpable, and no one was sure what to do to calm the tension between the two adversaries.
58. Illicit
Bringing illicit substances onto an aircraft is a fast and easy way to get a one-way ticket to prison.
59. Incendiary
His language toward the government was downright incendiary, and he began to lose supporters.
60. Languid
The flu left her feeling languid and exhausted, and she struggled to keep up with the demands of her job.
61. Nefarious
As she pulled into her driveway, she struggled to see whether the person she noticed on her video doorbell was nefarious.
62. Scorn
Karen knew using technology would further her career, but she tended to scorn anything new and different.
63. Seething
She was seething! She couldn’t believe that her sister was stealing from their grandfather’s estate.
64. Untoward
Melody tried to act as if his behavior hadn’t been untoward, but she had trouble respecting him.
Looking for more? Check out our guide with examples of mood in poetry!
