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Rhyme Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

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[ rahym ]

/ raɪm /

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See synonyms for: rhyme / rhymed / rhymes / rhyming on Thesaurus.com

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noun

identity in sound of some part, especially the end, of words or lines of verse.

a word agreeing with another in terminal sound: Find is a rhyme for mind and womankind.

verse or poetry having correspondence in the terminal sounds of the lines.

a poem or piece of verse having such correspondence.

verse¹ (def. 4).

verb (used with object), rhymed, rhym·ing.

to treat in rhyme, as a subject; turn into rhyme, as something in prose.

to compose (verse or the like) in metrical form with rhymes.

to use (a word) as a rhyme to another word; use (words) as rhymes.

verb (used without object), rhymed, rhym·ing.

to make rhyme or verse; versify.

to use rhyme in writing verse.

to form a rhyme, as one word or line with another: a word that rhymes with orange.

to be composed in metrical form with rhymes, as verse: poetry that rhymes.

VIDEO FOR RHYME

Are There Any Words Without Rhymes?

It's the age old question ... at least the age-old word game question: Are there any words without rhymes?

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QUIZ

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Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

Idioms about rhyme

rhyme or reason, logic, sense, or plan: There was no rhyme or reason for what they did.

Sometimes rime .

Origin of rhyme

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English rime, from Old French, derivative of rimer “to rhyme,” from unattested Gallo-Romance rimāre “to put in a row,” ultimately derived from Old High German rīm “series, row”; probably not connected with Latin rhythmus “rhythm,” although current spelling (from about 1600) is apparently by association with this word

historical usage of rhyme

The spelling and etymology of the noun rhyme fall between two stools. Its Middle English forms rym (in The Canterbury Tales, from around 1387), ryym (in Wycliffe’s Bible ), and rime derive from Anglo-French, Old French, and Middle French rime, ryme. Note the absence of h in all these spellings.
The source of the French rime is from an unrecorded Gallo-Romance verb rimāre “to set in a row,” a derivative of the Germanic noun rīm “number, series,” and possibly developing the senses “series of rhymed syllables” and “rhymed verse.”
The English spelling rhyme dates from around 1600 and shows the influence of the unrelated Latin rhetorical term rhythmus “a patterned sequence of sounds; measured flow of words or phrases in prose,” a borrowing from Greek rhythmós, which has the same meanings.

OTHER WORDS FROM rhyme

rhymer, nounin·ter·rhyme, verb (used without object), in·ter·rhymed, in·ter·rhym·ing.mis·rhymed, adjectivenon·rhyme, noun

non·rhymed, adjectivenon·rhym·ing, adjectiveoutrhyme, verb (used with object), out·rhymed, out·rhym·ing.un·rhyme, verb (used with object), un·rhymed, un·rhym·ing.well-rhymed, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH rhyme

Words nearby rhyme

rhumba, rhumbatron, rhumb line, rhumb sailing, rhus, rhyme, rhyme or reason, no, rhyme royal, rhyme scheme, rhymester, rhyming slang

Dictionary. com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to rhyme

cadence, poem, poetry, rhythm, tune, verse, alliteration, beat, couplet, doggerel, harmony, measure, meter, ode, poesy, rune, song, half-rhyme, iambic pentameter, nursery rhyme

How to use rhyme in a sentence

• He talked about sharing poems with kindergartners, and how much kids love it when you tell them to just have fun, make some rhymes, and be silly.

  Why kids need poetry in their lives, and how to spark their interest in it|Jason Basa Nemec|March 5, 2021|Washington Post

• So many of the 140 lyricists who entered, some of them with a dozen or more songs each, offered songs that cleverly echoed the originals, and matched or even improved on the originals’ rhyme scheme.

  Style Conversational Week 1424: It’s hive time for another Spelling Bee contest|Pat Myers|February 18, 2021|Washington Post

• This addresses matters of length, structure, source music, rhyme and meter — what works best for a contest whose results are mostly read in text.

  Style Conversational Week 1420: Back to the vocal point|Pat Myers|January 21, 2021|Washington Post

• The older boy would sing a little rhyme about a dog and a hunter in the woods.

  I brought my kids to the Devil for Christmas. And they’re fine. Right?|Petula Dvorak|December 17, 2020|Washington Post

• “There was really no rhyme or reason to why somebody who was caught with crack cocaine was subject to imprisonment many, many times more severe than people who were found with soft cocaine,” says Virani.

  The war on drugs didn’t work. Oregon’s plan might.|Kat Eschner|December 17, 2020|Popular-Science

• One song interweaves adult themes into nursery rhyme cadence.

  From Church of Christ to Pansexual Rapper|Tyler Gillespie|November 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST

• So too, without the benefit of a rhyme, is "fix it, don't repeal it."

  Democrats Must Run on Obamacare in November|Robert Shrum|March 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST

• Like, “Yeah this will be crazy to rhyme on alright lets loop it up. ”

  Action Bronson Isn’t Your Typical Rapper|Sara Sayed|January 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST

• Bruni told NPR last summer that she changed the name because it was easier to rhyme.

  The Gunslinger of Rue Miromesnil|Christopher Dickey|December 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST

• While it may “rhyme” a bit, Syria has its own particular dynamics.

  Why We Must Intervene in Syria, a Veteran Makes the Case|Mark R. Jacobson|September 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST

• I don't exactly see how I could have been, considering I never made a rhyme in my life!

  Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 107, November 3, 1894|Various

• The sixth line is in these words: “Keeping time, time, time, in a sort of Runic rhyme.”

  Assimilative Memory|Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)

• It was about a trifle, some little thing that she had put into rhyme for him; how many rhymes she had written for him this summer!

  Tessa Wadsworth's Discipline|Jennie M. Drinkwater

• The most amusing point in it is, that the author seriously intended the lines to rhyme.

  Notes and Queries, Number 177, March 19, 1853|Various

• We passed through Banbury, whose cross, famous in nursery rhyme, is only modern.

  British Highways And Byways From A Motor Car|Thomas D. Murphy

British Dictionary definitions for rhyme

rhyme

archaic rime

/ (raɪm) /

noun

identity of the terminal sounds in lines of verse or in words

a word that is identical to another in its terminal sound``while'' is a rhyme for ``mile''

a verse or piece of poetry having corresponding sounds at the ends of the linesthe boy made up a rhyme about his teacher

any verse or piece of poetry

rhyme or reason sense, logic, or meaningthis proposal has no rhyme or reason

verb

to use (a word) or (of a word) to be used so as to form a rhyme; be or make identical in sound

to render (a subject) into rhyme

to compose (verse) in a metrical structure

See also masculine rhyme, feminine rhyme, eye rhyme

Derived forms of rhyme

Word Origin for rhyme

C12: from Old French rime, from rimer to rhyme, from Old High German rīm a number; spelling influenced by rhythm

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for rhyme

A similarity of sound between words, such as moon, spoon, croon, tune, and June. Rhyme is often employed in verse.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Rhyme Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

1 of 2

ˈrīm 

1

a(1)

: rhyming verse

(2)

: poetry

b

: a composition in verse that rhymes

2

a

: correspondence in terminal sounds of units of composition or utterance (such as two or more words or lines of verse)

b

: one of two or more words thus corresponding in sound

c

: correspondence of other than terminal word sounds: such as

(1)

: alliteration

(2)

: internal rhyme

3

: rhythm, measure

rhymeless adjective

rhyme

2 of 2

transitive verb

1

: to relate or praise in rhyming verse

2

a

: to put into rhyme

b

: to compose (verse) in rhyme

c

: to cause to rhyme : use as rhyme

intransitive verb

1

: to make rhymes

also : to compose rhyming verse

2

of a word or verse : to end in syllables that are rhymes

3

: to be in accord : harmonize

rhymer noun

Synonyms

Verb

• accord
• agree
• answer
• check
• chord
• cohere
• coincide
• comport
• conform
• consist
• correspond
• dovetail
• fit
• go
• harmonize
• jibe
• sort
• square
• tally

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Example Sentences

Noun She used “moon” as a rhyme for “June. ” He couldn't think of a rhyme for “orange.” They're learning about meter and rhyme. Verb Please find the two lines that rhyme. She rhymed “moon” with “June.”

Recent Examples on the Web

At 2002’s post-Jam barbecue, Slug and Sage faced off in a friendly half-hour rhyme battle. —Spin Staff, SPIN, 31 Dec. 2022 His voice is comforting and singsongy, especially in a final, children’s-rhyme-like outro message (more on that soon). —Vulture, 7 Jan. 2022 Your Girl Love, Karaoke Style Unlock your inner Mariah Carey by bearing your soul in rhyme to your ladyfriends. —Rachel Silva, ELLE Decor, 11 Jan. 2023 For a relaxed look that’s perfect for last-minute entertaining, tuck a series of pink, yellow, and cream-colored flowers (like dahlias and roses) into a vase without much rhyme or rhythm as Fleuropean did in this billowing centerpiece. —Bebe Howorth, ELLE Decor, 16 Nov. 2022 Forepaw and forearm unfurl toward the viewer in an arresting rhyme. —Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 6 Oct. 2022 There are always exceptions, especially when the rhyme or meter is bent for humorous effect. —Pat Myers, Washington Post, 13 Oct. 2022 Coolio took out the profanity in the original rhyme, when Stevie Wonder objected. —Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 29 Sep. 2022 Portland spring theater season is upon us, and all of the tantalizing local stage productions have sparked a bit of rhyme. —oregonlive, 23 Mar. 2022

Becky’s life can’t help but rhyme with the experience of her great-great-great etc. —Vulture, 5 Dec. 2022 Ok, that doesn't really rhyme, but this gift doesn't disappoint like the original song. —Kathryn Gregory, The Courier-Journal, 9 Mar. 2022 Listen to the first three Chili Peppers albums in quick succession, and your thoughts will rhyme for a week. —Chris Richards, Washington Post, 12 Sep. 2022 The respective powerhouses did more than give Symba a co-sign — LeBron included Symba on his Space Jam 2 soundtrack, and Dre worked with West Coast rhyme slinger on his new project. —Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 15 Sep. 2022 Any chance that proposed guest's name might rhyme with Pakota Dohnson? —Brendan Morrow, The Week, 16 Sep. 2022 His actions rhyme with those of other conservative legislators and school board officials across the country attempting to undermine instruction about identity. —Brandon Tensley, CNN, 28 Aug. 2022 There’s a reason most naturalists don’t try to teach that rhyme as a way to distinguish the venomous coral snake from the non-venomous scarlet kingsnake. —Dennis Pillion | [email protected], al, 15 Aug. 2022 Lines 1, 2 and 5 of a limerick rhyme with one another, as do Lines 3 and 4. —Pat Myers, Washington Post, 18 Aug. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rhyme. ' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English rime, from Anglo-French

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of rhyme was in the 13th century

See more words from the same century

Dictionary Entries Near

Rhyl

rhyme

rhyme or reason

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

Style

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“Rhyme. ” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rhyme. Accessed 22 Feb. 2023.

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Kids Definition

rhyme

1 of 2 noun

1

a

: close similarity in the final sounds of two or more words or lines of verse

b

: one of two or more words having this similarity in sound

2

a

: rhyming verse

b

: a composition in verse that rhymes

rhyme

2 of 2 verb

1

a

: to make rhymes : put into rhyme

b

: to compose rhyming verse

2

: to end in syllables that rhyme

3

: to cause to rhyme : use as rhyme

rhymed "moon" with "June"

rhymer noun

More from Merriam-Webster on

Nglish: Translation of rhyme for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of rhyme for Arabic Speakers

Britannica. com: Encyclopedia article about rhyme

Last Updated: 10 Feb 2023 - Updated example sentences

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Merriam-Webster unabridged

How to write lyrics for a song: using rhymes - SAMESOUND

We are surrounded by rhymes and rhyming lines - songwriters have taken the place of poets in the modern world. According to literary critic David Kaplan, the activity of songwriters has led us to live in an era of rhymes that get stuck in our heads along with popular tracks. As confirmation of Kaplan's words, one can recall Bob Dylan, who received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016 for his poetry.

It's not easy to write lyrics for a song - the rhymes are idiotic, the lines don't make sense. However, one should not think that the lyrics are limited to rhymes. Flypaper contributor Charlotte Yates has three tips for anyone who wants to know how to come up with lyrics for a song. According to Charlotte, these recommendations will help move the writing of lyrics off the ground and make it easier to write lyrics. Revision SAMESOUND.RU provides an adapted translation of the note.

Change schemes

Those who want to understand how to write lyrics for a song often forget that the lines of songs are usually written in certain patterns called rhyming schemes. Lines whose last words rhyme with each other are denoted by letters: the first line is A, the second is B , etc. If a line doesn't rhyme, it's X.

Here are a few common patterns (similar to the structural song patterns used in an arrangement):

• AABB - adjacent rhyme, couplet syllable, in which every two lines rhyme with each other;
• ABAB - cross syllable, opposition, in which the lines rhyme with each other through one;
• AAAA - monorhyme, each line rhymes with the previous one and all the others;
• ABBA - ring rhyme, within a quatrain, the first and last lines rhyme with each other, as well as the second and third.

In addition, patterns are often found in songs XAXA, AXXA and AAXA.

For those who are looking for an answer to the question of how to write lyrics for a song, but do not have enough experience in this, it is useful to write down the schemes used and come up with words by holding them in front of you. Most likely, these will be the standard schemes given above, but based on them, you can come up with more interesting options. If you often write quatrains, try to get out of your comfort zone and increase the number of lines to six. If all lines rhyme in quatrains, then it might be worth adding at least one non-rhyming line. For example, 9 did this0005 Adele to "Hello":

Hello from the outside (A)
At least I can say that I've tried (A) 9005 sorry for breaking your heart (B)
But it don't matter; it clearly doesn't tear you apart (B) anymore

Nothing is perfect

Where musical theater lyrics are as much a part of the story as the screenplay, contemporary song classics often favor authenticity and colloquial realism over use so-called "ideal" rhymes. Modern writers strive to keep the lyrics simple and natural, so use the full range of rhymes and vocabulary available to you. You don't have to take everything literally: it's not about making all your rhymes perfect, but about you were not afraid to use any, even the simplest rhymes, if it is justified.

The spectrum of rhymes can be conditionally divided into 5 types:

• Ideal rhymes — words end in the same vowels or consonants: love — carrot, fat — cat;
• Exact - consonants or vowels in words are the same, which makes rhymes and words sound very similar: breathes - hears, white - ride;
• Approximate, inaccurate - there are no letter matches or they are not exact, the words are more similar in their sound, not spelling: towards - cutting, way - paid;
• Assonances - any consonants in a word that match vowels: blow - throat;
• Consonances - any vowels in the word that sound the same consonants: hand - end;

In fact, there are many more types of rhymes, but in most texts, the authors resort to using precisely these varieties (for more information about the types of rhymes, you can read here).
Bite that tattoo on your shoulder
Pull the sheets right off the corner
Of the mattress that you stole
From your roommate back in  Boulder
We ain' t ever getting older

Rely on the sound

Don't pay attention to how rhymes look on paper - writing lyrics for a song, chasing only the beauty of letter combinations will not work. Play words aloud, sort through matching words and phrases, memorize the result you like. If the rhyme sounds great, be sure to use it.

Having a bunch of great-sounding rhymes on hand will make it easier for you to write the lyrics for the next song. It is enough to put together the found rhymes, arrange them in lines and put meaning into it in order to get a decent and memorable text.

As an example, consider Oscar Hammerstein II 's lyrics to 's "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning" . Line "The corn is as hight as an elephant's eye" fit perfectly into the lyrics and was remembered by millions of listeners. The trick is that this line was not invented by Hammerstein - the idiom about corn at the height of the eyes of an elephant existed long before the appearance of the song itself, Hammerstein simply appreciated the rhyme and found it a great use.

A mulatto
An Albino
A Mosquito
My Libido