poetaster

noun

ˈpō-ə-ˌta-stər How to pronounce poetaster (audio)
Definition of poetasternext
as in poet
a person who writes poetry she's a poetaster whose verse never rises above what is found on greeting cards

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of poetaster Heti’s detractors could probably put a bottle in the middle of a table and entertain themselves reading lines out of context in suave, poetaster voices. — New York Times, 7 Feb. 2022 But -aster words have never been particularly common, with the exception of poetaster, an inferior poet. — Melissa Mohr, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 June 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poetaster
  1. poet
  2. minstrel
Noun
  • Novelist and poet Wendell Berry spent his life farming his land for food and for prose.
    — Tilda Wilson, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026
  • April may be the cruelest month for poets, but September is crueler for stock traders.
    — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of poet
Noun
  • Target recently received backlash for 'offensive' Halloween costume This comes on the heels of Target apologizing in late August for a Halloween circus clown costume that critics said appeared to conjure Blackface and 19th-century minstrel shows.
    — Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Davis shared her thoughts alongside a side-by-side comparison of the costume with 19th-century minstrel imagery, which perpetuated racist stereotypes about Black Americans and involved the use of blackface.
    — Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of minstrel

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poet
poetaster
poetasters
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Cite this Entry

“Poetaster.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poetaster. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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