anapest
/ˈænəpɛst/
noun
- A metrical foot in poetry consisting of two unstressed syllables followed by one stressed syllable (˘ ˘ ´). (Alternative spelling of 'anapaest'.)
- Many nursery rhymes contain anapests, like 'Twas the night before Christmas'.
- The poet used an anapest to give the line a light, skipping feel.
- In the word 'understand', the stress pattern is an anapest: un-der-STAND.
Antonyms