doggerel
2
9.9
- noun
- /ˈdɔɡərəl/
- Literature
:
verso trivial
- As I trudge, I amuse myself with a doggerel:
- doggerel verse
- a bit of doggerel
Examples
-
During the celebration, he recited a light-hearted doggerel that had everyone in stitches.
-
Pure doggerel, darling, but I like the sentiment.
-
What makes a book for children count as literature, as a poem, not merely as doggerel or verse?
Academic text (2001) -
Imagine being paid to compose such earnest, empty doggerel.
Fiction book (1999) -
I've always felt slightly sheepish about the pleasure I get from my occasional forays into doggerel.
Academic text (2009) -
London's Punch responded with a barrage of satirical articles, doggerel verse, and political cartoons.
Academic text (1997) -
The doggerel verse unmasks the treachery of Bertram's "devoted friend, sir, the manifold linguist and the armipotent soldier" (4.3.223-24).
Academic text (2005) -
The children's book was filled with funny doggerel that made them giggle.
-
Her performance included a charming piece of doggerel that poked fun at everyday life.
Synonyms
A short, silly poem with an uneven beat that people see as low quality
Compounds
- Literature
A short, silly poem with an uneven beat that people see as low quality
How Literary
Surface Forms
Etymology
The word doggerel likely comes from an old English word dogger meaning 'clumsy' or 'low-quality', with dog used as an insult for something poor. A helpful way to remember doggerel is to think of it as 'dog-like' verse — rough, silly, or crude poetry, which is why critics call some poems doggerel.