1. of, relating to, or written in anapaests (a metrical foot consisting of two short syllables followed by one long syllable)
Usage: technical term in poetry and prosody; also spelled anapestic

Examples

• The poem's anapaestic meter gives it a bouncy, energetic rhythm.
• Longfellow's 'Evangeline' is written in anapaestic hexameter.
• The anapaestic pattern creates a galloping effect in the verse.
• Students learning prosody often study anapaestic feet alongside iambic and trochaic patterns.
• The anapaestic rhythm of the nursery rhyme makes it easy for children to remember.