What is the term for having each word one syllable longer than the one before it?

The term that refers to the structure in which each word is one syllable longer than the previous one is rhopalic. This specific poetic device is used to create a rhythmic and cumulative effect in language, emphasizing a growth or escalation in the expression. The sound and flow of rhopalic meter often contribute to the intensity of the narrative, drawing the reader's attention through its deliberate progression in syllable count.

Rhidonic, often confused with rhopalic, does not carry the same specific meaning; instead, it focuses on a different structured form of expression. Antimetabole is a rhetorical device that involves repeating a phrase in reverse order, which is distinct from the incremental syllable pattern of rhopalic meter. Polysyllabic refers broadly to words with multiple syllables and lacks the specific structure indicated by the question concerning word length progression. Hence, rhopalic is the accurate term reflecting the specified characteristic.