ode

1 of 2

noun

plural odes
1
: a lyric poem usually marked by exaltation of feeling and style, varying length of line, and complexity of stanza forms
Keats's ode "To a Nightingale"
2
: something that shows respect for or celebrates the worth or influence of another : homage
The museum would be an ode to visual storytelling, drawn from the director's collection of film ephemera and fine art.Chanan Tigay
The recipe is an ode to my homeland, Vietnam, and I'd like to share it with my new friends in America.Gourmet
odist noun

-ode

2 of 2

noun combining form

1
: way : path
electrode
2
: electrode
diode

Examples of ode in a Sentence

Noun This poem is titled, “An Ode to My Mother.”
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Otherwise, a spectacle that’s supposed to be an ode to the power of Hollywood hokum simply becomes the minor-key embodiment of it. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2025 On the penultimate track of the album, Aviance brings together all of the references and influences that helped shape his career and creates a stunning ode to the resilience and power of the LGBTQ+ community of the past, the present and the future. Stephen Daw, Billboard, 10 Oct. 2025 Read more of writer Brian Grubb’s ode to season two’s secret weapon here. Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025 That is because Deadline is checking out the follow-up to John Morton’s BAFTA-winning BBC satirical comedies Twenty Twelve and W1A, shows that have landed cult status for their excruciating ode to Britishness and in-depth examination of the behind-the-scenes machinations of public institutions. Max Goldbart, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ode

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle French or Late Latin; Middle French, from Late Latin, from Greek ōidē, literally, song, from aeidein, aidein to sing; akin to Greek audē voice

Noun combining form

Greek -odos, from hodos

First Known Use

Noun

1538, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ode was in 1538

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ode.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ode. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

ode

1 of 2 noun
: a lyric poem that expresses a noble feeling with dignity

-ode

2 of 2 noun combining form
ˌōd
1
: way : path
electrode
2
: electrode
diode
Etymology

Noun combining form

derived from Greek hodos "way, path"

More from Merriam-Webster on ode

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!