Limerick
noun /ˈlɪmərɪk/ — A five-line comic poem with a distinctive bouncing rhythm — built for wit and irreverence.
Definition
A humorous five-line poem with a rhyme scheme of AABBA and a lilting, anapestic meter — traditionally used for bawdy, irreverent, or simply clever humor.
Beyond the definition
The limerick is democracy's poem — quick, inclusive, and designed to make a room laugh. Its rhythm practically demands to be read aloud. The best limericks arrive on the fifth line with a turn that snaps the whole thing closed.
Origin & history
Named after Limerick, Ireland, possibly from a Victorian-era parlor game where participants improvised verses about the city. The form predates the name — the connection to the Irish city remains uncertain.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
'There was an old man from Nantucket' — the most notorious first line in the form's history.
He could dash off a limerick in under a minute — a party trick that made him genuinely popular.
The limerick's genius is in its fifth line: you see the setup, you expect the rhyme, and the surprise is in what arrives.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Limerick” when the meaning fits your context: A humorous five-line poem with a rhyme scheme of AABBA and a lilting, anapestic meter — traditionally used for bawdy, irreverent, or simply clever humor.
Synonyms
comic verse, clerihew, humorous poem, jingle
Antonyms
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Face Delivering Clever Joke
A close-up captures an adult’s face as they deliver a clever, dry observation, a small, subtle smile appearing, their eyes bright with intelligence.
A limerick is a humorous five-line poem with a lilting, clever beat. The subject's bright eyes and subtle smile capture the spirit of such humor: quick, inventive, and playfully irreverent, showing the timing needed to make a clever observation land perfectly in a way that is immediately funny and lighthearted.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Limerick" mean?
Limerick is noun meaning: A five-line comic poem with a distinctive bouncing rhythm — built for wit and irreverence.. A humorous five-line poem with a rhyme scheme of AABBA and a lilting, anapestic meter — traditionally used for bawdy, irreverent, or simply clever humor.
Where does the word "Limerick" come from?
Named after Limerick, Ireland, possibly from a Victorian-era parlor game where participants improvised verses about the city. The form predates the name — the connection to the Irish city remains uncertain.