verse

/vɜːs/ (bre, ipa) · /vɜːrs/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈvərs/ (ame, mw)

verse — noun

  • versesingular
  • versesplural

1. writing that uses a regular pattern of sounds and beats, unlike ordinary speech

1.名詞B1
釋義

writing that uses a regular pattern of sounds and beats, unlike ordinary speech or stories

例句

Noa prefers reading prose to verse because she finds stories easier to follow.

contrasted with prose

Felipe learned to tell verse apart from prose by counting the beats in each line.

同義詞
  • poetry

    the everyday word; 'verse' is slightly more technical, often used when discussing metrical form

  • metrical writing

    formal and academic; emphasises the rhythmic structure

  • rhyme

    narrower — verse does not have to rhyme; 'rhyme' focuses only on matching sounds at line ends

反義詞
  • prose

    ordinary written language without metrical structure

文法句型

verse + noun (verse drama, verse form)

adjective + verse (blank verse, free verse)

用法筆記

Uncountable when referring to the form itself. Countable only in specialised contexts (e.g., 'a verse' meaning a line of metrical writing, or 'verses' meaning multiple poems). Frequently modified by adjectives that describe the metrical system: blank verse, free verse, rhyming verse.

常見錯誤

❌I wrote a verse about my dog.' (intending a single poem)
✅I wrote a poem about my dog.
💡'verse' as an uncountable noun means poetry in general, not a single poem.
❌She is studying verse of the Romantic period.' (missing article)
✅She is studying the verse of the Romantic period.
💡'verse' referring to a body of work usually takes a definite article.

2. a separate part inside a longer piece of poetry or music, made up of several lin

2.名詞B1
釋義

a separate part inside a longer piece of poetry or music, made up of several lines

例句

Élise learned the second verse by heart but kept forgetting the chorus.

verse vs chorus in songs

The teacher asked each student to read one verse of the poem aloud to the class.

同義詞
  • stanza

    the more formal, technical term used in poetry analysis; implies a regular pattern of lines and rhyme

  • section

    more general; does not carry the musical or metrical sense of 'verse'

  • couplet

    a specific type of stanza with exactly two lines — narrower than 'verse'

反義詞
  • chorus

    the repeated part of a song that follows each verse

文法句型

verse + of + noun (verse of the song)

adjective + verse (first verse, final verse)

用法筆記

In popular music, the verse is the section that tells the story and typically has the same melody but different lyrics each time, alternating with a repeated chorus. In poetry analysis, the more technical term 'stanza' is often preferred, but 'verse' is widely understood and used.

常見錯誤

❌She sang the first verse of the national anthem beautifully.' (using 'verse' when meaning the whole song)
✅She sang the national anthem beautifully.
💡'verse' refers to one section, not the whole piece.
❌Poem has 4 verses.' (missing article)
✅The poem has four verses.
💡countable use requires a determiner.

3. a short, numbered sentence or paragraph that forms a single unit of text inside

3.名詞B1
釋義

a short, numbered sentence or paragraph that forms a single unit of text inside a chapter of a sacred text, for instance the Bible, the Torah, or the Quran

例句

Grandmother reads one verse from the Bible every morning before breakfast.

The priest asked the congregation to turn to verse sixteen of chapter three.

reference format: verse [number] of chapter [number]

同義詞
  • passage

    broader — can cover several verses or a longer section of text

  • scripture

    refers to the entire holy text, not a single unit

  • text

    general term; less precise than 'verse' in a scriptural context

文法句型

chapter + number + colon + verse + number (John 3:16)

verse + number + of + chapter + number

the + ordinal + verse

用法筆記

Always identified by a reference number (e.g., 'Psalm 23:4' meaning chapter 23, verse 4). The colon is the standard separator in written references. This sense is specific to scripture — do not use it for secular divisions of text.

常見錯誤

❌John 3, verse 16' (using a comma)
✅John 3:16
💡the standard written format uses a colon between chapter and verse numbers.
❌Turn to verse 16 in chapter 3.' (informal but acceptable in speech)
✅Turn to chapter 3, verse 16.' or 'Turn to 3:16.
💡more natural word order for spoken instructions.

4. a short piece of writing in poetic form, often on a light or simple subject and

4.名詞B1
釋義

a short piece of writing in poetic form, often on a light or simple subject and not necessarily of great literary ambition

例句

Nila composed a humorous verse for her grandfather's eightieth birthday card.

light verse / humorous verse

The school magazine published a short verse about autumn written by a Year 7 student.

同義詞
  • poem

    the standard everyday word; 'verse' is less common and often suggests something shorter or lighter

  • lyric

    a poem that expresses personal feelings, originally meant to be sung

  • piece

    very general; does not specify poetic form

文法句型

adjective + verse (humorous verse)

verse + about + topic

用法筆記

Less common than 'poem' in modern English. Often carries a slightly informal or modest tone, suggesting the poem is short or not intended as serious literature. In literary criticism, 'verse' and 'poem' are not synonymous — a 'verse' may imply simpler structure or lighter content.

常見錯誤

❌Shakespeare wrote 154 verses.' (confusing with 'sonnets')
✅Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets.
💡'verse' as a countable noun for a single literary work is much rarer than 'poem' or 'sonnet'.
❌I read a beautiful verse from the Romantic period.' (unclear whether sense 2 or sense 4)
✅I read a beautiful poem from the Romantic period.
💡to avoid ambiguity with 'verse' meaning stanza.

verse — verb