odyssey

noun

od·​ys·​sey ˈä-də-sē How to pronounce odyssey (audio)
plural odysseys
1
: a long wandering or voyage usually marked by many changes of fortune
his odyssey from rural South to urban North, from poverty to affluence, from Afro-American folk culture to a Eurocentric world of booksJ. E. Wideman
2
: an intellectual or spiritual wandering or quest
an odyssey of self-discovery
a spiritual odyssey from disbelief to faith

Did you know?

Odysseus, the hero of Homer's Odyssey, spends 20 years traveling home from the Trojan War. He has astonishing adventures and learns a great deal about himself and the world; he even descends to the underworld to talk to the dead. Thus, an odyssey is any long, complicated journey, often a quest for a goal, and may be a spiritual or psychological journey as well as an actual voyage.

Examples of odyssey in a Sentence

The story is about the emotional odyssey experienced by a teenage girl. the spiritual odyssey of the deeply religious
Recent Examples on the Web Water’s cosmic odyssey began hundreds of millions of years after the big bang. Shannon Hall, Scientific American, 23 Feb. 2024 The culinary odyssey of Top Chef returns for its 21st season, turning the spotlight on Wisconsin's gastronomic allure for its latest season. Stephanie Gravalese, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 The story culminates over water, as the last leg of Seydou and Moussa’s odyssey features a reluctant Seydou at the helm of a boat. Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 20 Feb. 2024 Advertisement Bryant idolized Johnson and Jordan, two prominent figures in his basketball odyssey. Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2024 Garwood, who has canoed the length of the Mississippi River solo, an odyssey that lasted 84 days, has a deep reverence for his home ground, and the winter that is part of a Minnesotan’s identity. Patricia Leigh Brown, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2024 Breaking new ground, alongside the show’s signature dazzling dance numbers, viewers will gain unprecedented access to the personal and competitive odysseys of the contestants through a documentary-style lens. Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 28 Feb. 2024 Day 1 — Indoor amusement and a mind-bending shopping mart Our odyssey begins at Area15, a sprawling, technicolor playground that's part interactive art installation, part high-tech amusement park. Laura Parker, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 Lopez sings, dances, and even seeks advice from Fat Joe playing a therapist in this musical odyssey. Lucas Villa, Rolling Stone, 16 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'odyssey.' 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

the Odyssey, epic poem attributed to Homer recounting the long wanderings of Odysseus

First Known Use

1886, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of odyssey was in 1886

Dictionary Entries Near odyssey

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

odyssey

noun
od·​ys·​sey ˈäd-ə-sē How to pronounce odyssey (audio)
plural odysseys
: a long wandering or series of travels
Etymology

named for the Odyssey, a long poem from ancient Greece telling the story of the 10-year wanderings of Odysseus, a Greek hero and king

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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