Orpheus

noun

: a poet and musician in Greek mythology who almost rescues his wife Eurydice from Hades by charming Pluto and Persephone with his lyre

Examples of Orpheus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Other stars in the current cast are Jordan Fisher as Orpheus, Phillip Boykin as Hades, and Solea Pfeiffer as Eurydice. Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 23 Jan. 2024 Eurydice, racked with hunger, stumbles into a Bourbon Street nightclub where waiter/songwriter/lyre-player Orpheus is smitten immediately. Rod Stafford Hagwood, Sun Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2024 Descending is his 25th studio release and is named after a Tennessee Williams play based on the Greek myth of Orpheus descending into Hell. Spin Staff, SPIN, 15 Dec. 2023 Tugboats were working to pull the ship One Orpheus, which had a fault with its rudder while transiting the canal on its way to the Netherlands from Singapore, the SCA said in a statement. Costas Paris, WSJ, 6 Dec. 2023 The eight-time Tony-winning musical creatively reimagines the Greek tragedy of Orpheus and Eurydice with an industrial setting, poetic lyrics and howling jazz-blues music. Ashley Lee, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2023 The ending doesn’t entirely make sense, and the journey of the too-aptly named Orpheus has overtones of Greek mythology that feel unnecessary. Charlie Jane Anders, Washington Post, 17 Aug. 2023 German investment firm Libero Football Finance and a group of unnamed private investors will purchase a 29.5% share of Barca Media from Orpheus and Socios.com for $132 million, according to a press release announcing the deal. Prarthana Prakash, Fortune, 11 Aug. 2023 In this version, the sensible Eurydice has fallen in love with the idealistic Orpheus but longs for the financial stability guaranteed in the titular underworld — a factory town overseen by Hades and resented by his wife, Persephone. Ashley Lee, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Orpheus.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin, borrowed from Greek Orpheús

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Orpheus was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near Orpheus

Cite this Entry

“Orpheus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Orpheus. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on Orpheus

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!