Deficient hexameter is a six-foot metrical line—often dactylic in classical tradition or iambic in English—that is intentionally shortened by omitting one or more unstressed syllables, usually at the end (catalexis), resulting in a line that feels complete yet metrically reduced; this technique adapts classical forms to English prosody, creating rhythmic variation and expressive emphasis without disrupting the underlying hexametric framework.

A hexameter line with one or more missing syllables, disrupting the standard six-foot classical pattern. The deficiency creates variation in flow and can signal emotional hesitation or formal experimentation. Related to catalexis and classical hexameter. Contrasts with complete hexameter. Learners should scan lines carefully, marking where syllables drop, to understand how deficiency functions expressively.