Poetic describes language or expression that has the beauty, emotional power, or imaginative quality of poetry. When someone speaks in a poetic way, they might use vivid imagery, careful rhythm, or striking comparisons that make ordinary things seem newly meaningful. A nature writer describing fog as “a gray blanket tucking the hills in for the night” is being poetic.

Poetic language appeals to emotions and imagination, creating pictures and feelings through carefully chosen words. Compare “The sun set” with “The sun melted into the horizon like honey dripping from a spoon.” The second version is more poetic because it creates a picture and a feeling in addition to conveying information.

The word can also describe something that seems fitting or beautiful in an almost symbolic way. If a retired teacher receives a surprise visit from her very first student on her last day of work, you might call that moment poetic, meaning it feels meaningful and perfectly timed, like something from a story.

Poetic justice is a special phrase meaning a result that seems morally satisfying: when a bully who picks on others for being clumsy trips and falls, people might call that poetic justice.