Rhymeless

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Having no corresponding end sounds to create a rhyming pattern
2. Describes words or verses that do not match in their final sounds with others
3. Characterizing poetry or lines that are devoid of rhyming elements

Etymology: "Rhymeless" is a plain compound: the noun "rhyme" with the suffix "-less," meaning "without." The suffix comes from Old English "-lēas," which meant "free from" or "lacking," and it is the same element found in words like "fearless" and "careless." English speakers simply attached it to "rhyme" to name verse that lacks rhyming sounds. The suffix's history gives the word its depth. "-lēas" grew out of the Old English noun "lēas," meaning "loose" or "false," and it spread from there into a productive ending that English still uses to build new adjectives on demand. The word "rhyme" itself reached English from Old French, and so "rhymeless" joins a native ending to a borrowed root, a pairing that is common throughout the language.

Synonyms: unrhymed, free verse

Antonyms: rhymed