noun
Common
Shakespeare
SHAYKS-peer
Shakespeare (noun) means used to refer to William Shakespeare, the English playwright and poet, or his body of work. Example: “They performed a scene from Shakespeare at the school festival.”
noun
1
Used to refer to William Shakespeare, the English playwright and poet, or his body of work.
"They performed a scene from Shakespeare at the school festival."
2
Eloquent or highly poetic language, used loosely by comparison.
"His wedding speech was hardly Shakespeare, but it was heartfelt."
How to use Shakespeare
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishRefers to the famous English playwright, or, informally, to very eloquent writing.
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Word forms
- Plural
- Shakespeares
- Third person singular
- Shakespeares
- Past tense
- Shakespeared
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They performed a scene from _____ at the school festival.
Etymology
A Middle English surname meaning "spearman", from "shake" (to brandish) plus "spear".
Synonyms
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the bard
the bard of avon
Rhymes for Shakespeare
See all rhymes for Shakespeare →Frequently asked questions
What does “Shakespeare” mean?
The word “Shakespeare” means used to refer to William Shakespeare, the English playwright and poet, or his body of work. In plain terms, refers to the famous English playwright, or, informally, to very eloquent writing.
How do you pronounce “Shakespeare”?
“Shakespeare” is pronounced SHAYKS-peer (/ˈʃeɪkspɪɹ/ in IPA).
How do you use “Shakespeare” in a sentence?
Here is “Shakespeare” used in a sentence: “They performed a scene from Shakespeare at the school festival.”
What part of speech is “Shakespeare”?
“Shakespeare” is a noun.
Where does the word “Shakespeare” come from?
The word “Shakespeare” comes from Middle English. A Middle English surname meaning "spearman", from "shake" (to brandish) plus "spear".
Is “Shakespeare” a common word?
“Shakespeare” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “Shakespeare” have?
“Shakespeare” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: used to refer to William Shakespeare, the English playwright and poet, or his body of work.
What is the difference between "Shakespeare" and "Shakespearean"?
"Shakespeare" is the name itself, used for the playwright or his body of work, as in "studying Shakespeare". "Shakespearean" is the adjective, describing anything relating to him or in his style — a Shakespearean sonnet, a Shakespearean actor, or a downfall described as Shakespearean in scale.
Why is Shakespeare called "the Bard"?
A bard is a poet, and Shakespeare is called "the Bard" — or "the Bard of Avon", after the river that runs through his home town of Stratford-upon-Avon — because he is widely regarded as the greatest poet and playwright in English. Used with "the", the title refers to him alone.
Is it spelled "Shakespeare", "Shakespear", or "Shakspere"?
The standard modern spelling is "Shakespeare". English spelling was not fixed in his era and early documents record several variants of the name, but today anything other than "Shakespeare" is treated as a misspelling.
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