iambically

9.1

Speak or read with a soft then strong rhythm like in many poems

adverb
/aɪˈæmbɪkli/

Literature

: yámbicamente

She recited her lines iambically, emphasizing the natural cadence of the poetry.

Examples

In "Proteus," Stephen thinks, iambically, "These heavy sands are language tide and wind have silted here," and to the Joyce-conscious modern walker, Sandymount strand is language.

Academic text (2004)
"Something there is" is a trochaic bump that drops, then rises iambically on a rhythmic line with no particulars until love hits the wall of negative inversion, doesn't.

Academic text (2008)
The poem flows iambically, giving it a rhythmic and structured quality that enhances its beauty.
Reading the sonnet iambically added a musical quality that captivated the audience.

Surface Forms

iambically positive

Morphology

iambically = iambic (transparent) = iambic + ally

Regular adjective-to-adverb formation: 'iambic' + the adverbial suffix '-ally' yields 'iambically', so the meaning is directly predictable from the base.

Etymology

Iambically comes from the Greek word iambos and the root iamb, which means a 'short-long' beat used in poetry, like the 'da-DUM' of a heartbeat or a walking step. So, to speak iambically is to use that gentle 'short-long' rhythm in your words.