Definition
iambus
noun
- A metrical foot consisting of two syllables, with the first unstressed and the second stressed (˘ ¯).
Usage: Also called iamb; used in poetry and prosody; Common in English verse
Examples
- The word 'delight' is an example of an iambus, with stress on the second syllable.
- Shakespeare frequently used the iambus in his sonnets.
- An iambus is the opposite of a trochee in metrical structure.
- The iambus creates a rising rhythm that feels natural in English speech.
- Poets often build lines from multiple iambi to establish a regular meter.