plural verses
1
: a line of metrical writing
a fourteen-syllable verse
2
a(1)
: speech or writing distinguished from ordinary language by its distinctive patterning of sounds and especially by its rhythm : metrical language
characters who speak only in verse
(2)
b
: poem
c
: a body of metrical writing (as of a period or country)
The cinquain in older French verse was any kind of five-line stanza.—
John Hollander
John Hollander3
a
b
: a part of a song that typically occurs in a series, precedes the chorus, and follows any introduction
Sing the first and last verses only.
4
: one of the short divisions into which a chapter of scripture (such as the Bible, Torah, or Quran) is traditionally divided
Examples of verse in a Sentence
Noun
The epic tale was written in verse.
The second verse is sung the same way as the first.
Verb
while in prison, he versed himself in the rights of the incarcerated
Recent Examples on the Web
Tom Roland, Billboard, 24 July 2025
The verse’s last third might spark some side-eyes, but the Mass Appeal co-founder (the company distributed this album) sounds hungry.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 23 July 2025
However, controversy sparked over the weekend after an alternate version of the track featuring a different Nas verse leaked online—one that some listeners interpreted as a veiled diss toward Jones.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 23 July 2025
Arguably the definitive Sabbath song, its unconventional structure somehow combines a slow, doom-laden intro, a stop-start rhythm on the verses, and a classic riff on the instrumental passages that lead into the chorus, and even a coda with a different instrumental section.
—Monte Conner, Variety, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for verse
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Noun
With that decided, the opening verse recounted a few regular activities that would seem fairly typical for a good ol’ boy: deer hunting, sports, Fridays at the bar.
—Tom Roland, Billboard, 24 July 2025
The verse’s last third might spark some side-eyes, but the Mass Appeal co-founder (the company distributed this album) sounds hungry.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 23 July 2025
However, controversy sparked over the weekend after an alternate version of the track featuring a different Nas verse leaked online—one that some listeners interpreted as a veiled diss toward Jones.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 23 July 2025
Arguably the definitive Sabbath song, its unconventional structure somehow combines a slow, doom-laden intro, a stop-start rhythm on the verses, and a classic riff on the instrumental passages that lead into the chorus, and even a coda with a different instrumental section.
—Monte Conner, Variety, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for verse
Cite this Entry
“Verse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/verse. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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