verse

IPA/vɜːs/
KK[vˈɚs]IPA/vɜːrs/

verse — noun

  • versesingular
  • versesplural

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

1.nounB1
Definition

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

Example

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.

Common collocations
  • blank verse
  • free verse
  • rhyming verse
  • in verse
  • compose verse
  • verse form
  • verse drama
  • oral verse
Synonyms
  • 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

Antonyms
  • prose

    ordinary written language without metrical structure

Grammar Patterns

verse + noun (verse drama, verse form)

adjective + verse (blank verse, free verse)

Usage Note

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.

Common Mistakes

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.nounB1
Definition

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

Example

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.

Common collocations
  • first verse
  • second verse
  • final verse
  • verse of the song
  • verse of the poem
  • sing a verse
  • write a verse
  • verse and chorus
Synonyms
  • 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'

Antonyms
  • chorus

    the repeated part of a song that follows each verse

Grammar Patterns

verse + of + noun (verse of the song)

adjective + verse (first verse, final verse)

Usage Note

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.

Common Mistakes

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.nounB1
Definition

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

Example

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]

Common collocations
  • Bible verse
  • chapter and verse
  • quote a verse
  • read a verse
  • verse of scripture
  • memorise a verse
  • Psalm verse
Synonyms
  • 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

Grammar Patterns

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

verse + number + of + chapter + number

the + ordinal + verse

Usage Note

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.

Common Mistakes

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.nounB1
Definition

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

Example

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.

Common collocations
  • humorous verse
  • light verse
  • short verse
  • compose a verse
  • verse about
  • a verse on
Synonyms
  • 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

Grammar Patterns

adjective + verse (humorous verse)

verse + about + topic

Usage Note

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.

Common Mistakes

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.
Idioms

chapter and verse

idiom

the exact details or the precise source of information, especially when giving a full and authoritative account

The lawyer gave chapter and verse on every claim she made during the trial.

If you want chapter and verse on the company's expenses, ask the finance department.

verse — verb

Word family

  • versed
    adjectiveC1
  • versify
    verbC2
  • versification
    nounC2
  • versifier
    nounC2
  • verselet
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While all five words relate to creative writing, they occupy different levels. 'Poetry' (B1) is the broadest and most common term — the entire art form. 'Verse' (B1) overlaps heavily with 'poetry' but has a slightly more technical flavour, often emphasising metrical structure rather than artistic quality; you might say 'he wrote verse' to describe the form without praising it. 'Rhyme' (B1) is narrower — it refers specifically to matching sounds at line endings, and a poem can be verse without rhyming. 'Stanza' (B2) belongs to sense 2, not sense 1: it names a structural unit within a poem. 'Poem' (A2) is the everyday word for a single piece of poetry. For example: 'She published a poem in the magazine' (one piece). 'She writes poetry' (the craft). 'The poem uses rhyme in every stanza' (technical description of structure).

poetry ↗verse ↗rhyme ↗stanza ↗poem ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • verse form
  • verse drama
  • verse novel
  • verse satire

Adverbs

  • commonly written in verse
  • traditionally versed
  • originally composed in verse

Phrases

Prepositions

  • in verse
  • verse about
  • verse from
  • verse of

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'verse' entered English from Old French 'vers', which came from Latin 'versus', meaning 'a turn of the plough, a furrow, a line of writing'. The Latin root 'vertere' means 'to turn' — the idea being that a line of poetry 'turns back' to start a new line, just as a plough turns at the end of a furrow. This agricultural image reflects how the Romans thought of writing as a physical act of marking lines, and poetry as language that keeps turning back on itself in a regular pattern.