versify

verb

ver·​si·​fy ˈvər-sə-ˌfī How to pronounce versify (audio)
versified; versifying

intransitive verb

: to compose verses

transitive verb

1
: to relate or describe in verse
2
: to turn into verse

Word History

Etymology

Middle English versifien, borrowed from Anglo-French versifier, borrowed from Latin versificāre, from versus verse entry 1 + ificāre -ify

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of versify was in the 14th century

Rhymes for versify

See All Rhymes for versify

Browse Nearby Words

versifier
versify
versine
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Versify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/versify. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

versify

verb
ver·​si·​fy ˈvər-sə-ˌfī How to pronounce versify (audio)
versified; versifying
: to write or turn into verse
versifier
-ˌfī(-ə)r
noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of acquisitive

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

5 Verbal Slip Ups and Language Mistakes

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples

More Commonly Mispronounced Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 3
See More

Popular

See More

5 Verbal Slip Ups and Language Mistakes

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All