Rhythmic describes something that has a regular, repeating pattern, like a heartbeat or the steady tick-tock of a clock. When you clap along to music, bounce your basketball, or hear waves hitting the shore at regular intervals, you're experiencing rhythm.

Music is often rhythmic, with beats that repeat in predictable patterns, making it easy to tap your foot or nod your head. But rhythm appears everywhere: the rhythmic sound of a train on its tracks, the rhythmic flashing of a turn signal, or the rhythmic breathing of someone sleeping peacefully.

In writing and poetry, rhythmic language has patterns in how the syllables flow, giving the words a musical quality when you read them aloud. Dr. Seuss wrote rhythmically, which is why his books feel so natural to read aloud: “One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish.”

Athletes move rhythmically too. A runner's stride follows a rhythm, and gymnasts time their movements to match the rhythm of their floor music. When your movements have rhythm, they feel smooth and controlled rather than jerky or random. Anything with a predictable pattern of repetition, whether it's sound, movement, or even light, can be described as rhythmic.