orgy

noun

or·​gy ˈȯr-jē 

plural orgies

1

: secret ceremonial rites held in honor of an ancient Greek or Roman deity and usually characterized by ecstatic singing and dancing

Roman orgies in honor of Bacchus

2

a

: drunken revelry

b

: a sexual encounter involving many people

also : an excessive sexual indulgence (see indulgence sense 1a)

3

: excessive indulgence (see indulgence sense 1a) in something especially to satisfy an inordinate appetite or craving

an orgy of destruction

a national orgy of thrill seeking and risk taking

—K. T. Greenfeld

Did you know?

Unsexy Orgies

Orgy is a word which for many immediately conjures salacious imagery and blushed cheeks. However, both the oldest and the most recently-adopted senses of this word contain meanings which may not be at all sexual in nature. The word first came into English in the middle of the 16th century in reference to secret ceremonial rites, particularly those of the Romans and ancient Greeks, which involved singing and dancing. The licentious meaning was not added until the beginning of the 18th century. And the most recent senses (“a riotous display” and “a manifestation of extreme indulgence”), which may describe such things as an assembly of garish colors or a spectacle of destruction, appear to date from the late 19th century.

Examples of orgy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

After 13 or 17 years (depending on the brood), countless inch-long adults dig themselves out in sync, crawling out of the ground en masse for a monthlong summer orgy. —Celia Ford, WIRED, 28 Mar. 2024

When Swayze’s Dalton arrives at the Double Deuce, the seedy joint he’s supposed to transform, the place is all brawling chaos (or, at least, the 1980s backlot version of it: an orgy of broken prop glass, corn-syrup blood, and stunt fights that look like stunt fights). —Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 9 Mar. 2024

This episode is a love letter to various genres — namely action via Total Recall, plus the usual sci-fi fare — that quickly turns into a colorful orgy of animation and zany side characters, culminating in an absolute fever dream. —Huntley Woods and Christian Holub, EW.com, 17 Oct. 2023

At Hacienda and other parties, observers — in essence the orgy’s hall monitors — stand by to make sure no lines are crossed. —Sarah Maslin Nir, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2024

Alia then derisively witnesses a Fremen spice orgy of clapping, singing, drinking, and coupling. —Max Evry, WIRED, 4 Mar. 2024

As the country participated in the gratuitous orgy of capitalism otherwise known as Super Bowl LVIII, the real ones know that even though the Chiefs came out on top in a down-to-the-wire overtime win over the 49ers, the bona-fide highlights of every Super Bowl Sunday are those super spots. —Rob Ledonne, Rolling Stone, 12 Feb. 2024

Sign up Stephen Hawking comes up, in an email in which Epstein offered a reward for information to disprove claims that the physicist had taken part in an orgy on his private island. —The Week Uk, theweek, 13 Jan. 2024

There's been parties with the bohemian set, there's been the art stuff, there's been the orgies. —Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 21 Dec. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Middle French orgie, from Latin orgia, plural, from Greek; akin to Greek ergon work — more at work

First Known Use

circa 1561, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

orgy

noun

or·​gy ˈȯr-jē 

plural orgies

1

: secret ceremonies in honor of an ancient Greek or Roman god usually celebrated by wild singing and dancing

2

: something (as a party) that resembles an orgy in lack of control