1. Plural of hypermeter; lines of verse that exceed the normal metrical pattern or contain more syllables than the standard meter allows.
Usage: technical term in prosody and poetry analysis; also called hypermetrical lines
2. In music, measures or bars that extend beyond the expected metrical structure.
Usage: technical term in music theory

Examples

• The poet used hypermeters in the final stanza to create a sense of rhythmic expansion.
• Scholars debate whether Shakespeare's hypermeters were intentional or the result of scribal error.
• The analysis identified several hypermeters that disrupted the iambic pentameter pattern.
• In classical prosody, hypermeters often appear at the end of lines or stanzas.
• The composer added hypermeters to the bridge section to build dramatic tension.