What does anapest mean?
An anapest is a metrical foot used in poetry consisting of three syllables in which the first two are unstressed and the final one is stressed, producing a rising, galloping rhythm often described as da-da-DUM. Verse composed largely of anapests is called anapestic meter, and its light, propulsive movement has made it a favorite for humorous, narrative, and children's poetry — Clement Clarke Moore's 'A Visit from St. Nicholas' ('Twas the night before Christmas) is a famous example. The term derives from Greek via Latin and belongs to the vocabulary of prosody, the formal study of poetic rhythm. It contrasts with the dactyl, its mirror-image foot of one stressed followed by two unstressed syllables. Though chiefly encountered in classrooms and literary criticism, the anapest remains central to understanding how poets control pace, tone, and energy through meter.
nounA metrical foot in poetry consisting of three syllables, with two unstressed syllables followed by one stressed syllable (da-da-DUM), as in the line 'Twas the night before Christmas.
- A metrical foot of three syllables with two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed syllable.
"The poem galloped along in a lively anapest that gave it an almost comic energy."
"Dr. Seuss built much of his playful verse on the rolling momentum of the anapest."
"The student scanned the line carefully and identified each anapest by its da-da-DUM pattern."
Standard plural; typically used when discussing multiple metrical feet within a line or poem.
"The line contains four anapests before closing with a shortened final foot."
'Twas the Night Before Christmas is written almost entirely in anapests — which is why it bounces like a sleigh ride.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of anapest
The word 'anapest' comes from the Greek 'anapaistos', meaning 'struck back' or 'reversed', referring to the way the foot reverses the pattern of the dactyl. It passed into Latin as 'anapaestus' and entered English in the early modern period, becoming established in the vocabulary of classical scholarship and poetics. Its sibling term 'anapestic' serves as the adjectival form describing verse built on this foot.
Related word forms
How anapest is actually used
A technical term used primarily in literary criticism, prosody, and poetry instruction; rare in everyday speech. The adjective form 'anapestic' describes verse written in this meter. British spelling sometimes appears as 'anaesthet'-style variants but 'anapest' is standard in both regions.
Easily confused with anapest
A dactyl is the mirror image of an anapest: one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed, whereas an anapest is two unstressed followed by one stressed.