unmetrical

8.2

Not having a regular rhythm in speech, music, and poetry

adjective
/ʌnˈmɛtrɪkəl/

Literature

: no métrico

The poem's last stanza felt unmetrical, lacking the regular rhythm found in traditional verse.

Examples

An unmetrical line is one that cannot be mapped onto one of the available templates, and Larkin (unlike Lowell) has rather few of these.

Academic text (2001)
In contemporary music, many artists intentionally use unmetrical patterns to create a unique sound.
Said "unmistakably recuperates the (otherwise unmetrical) second line of example with a silent beat between the two phrases: PREFORMATTED TABLE

Academic text (2001)
The unmetrical nature of her performance added to its emotional impact, surprising the audience.

Synonyms

irregular

vsunmetrical

27 3.5

Happening at no fixed times

focuses specifically on lack of regular rhythm or meter rather than general irregularity

nonmetrical

vsunmetrical

7.8

Not having a regular beat or rhythm in poetry and music

is broader, applying to any lack of regular rhythm or meter

unmetered

vsunmetrical

Literature

6.3

Not written with a regular beat like free verse

covers lack of regular rhythm more generally beyond just meter

unmeasured

vsunmetrical

Literature

7.8

Words in poetry or prose that do not follow a regular rhythm

is about lack of regular rhythm or meter rather than counted syllables

unfooted

vsunmetrical

Literature

9.1

A line of poetry that does not have a regular rhythm of beats

refers to lack of regular rhythm or meter more generally

unrhythmical

vsunmetrical

7.4

Having no steady beat or regular pattern

describes lack of regular rhythm or meter in a broader sense

nonrhythmic

vsunmetrical

7.4

A sound that has no regular beat

is the general term for not having regular rhythm or meter

arrhythmical

vsunmetrical

9.3

A sound or movement that has no regular beat

is the neutral description of lacking regular rhythm or meter

Antonyms

metrical

Literature

1 6.7

Having a regular rhythm of syllables in poetry or music

How Metrical

metrical

Literature

1 6.7

rhythmic

42 3.6

regular

57 1.0

unmetrical

Literature

8.2

Surface Forms

unmetrical positive

Morphology

unmetrical = metrical (transparent) = un + meter + ical

The negative prefix un- is added to the adjective metrical in a fully regular and semantically direct way.

Etymology

Unmetrical is made of un- ('not') plus metrical, from the Greek root metron meaning 'measure', the same root as the everyday word meter. So unmetrical literally means 'not measured' and describes poetry, music, or speech that does not follow a regular rhythm.