ode

1 of 2

noun

ˈōd 

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

ˈō-dist 

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

Noun

From ones that incorporate fans to odes to classic binge-worthy TV, with the help of social media, everyone’s creative wheels are turning — and people are learning one new step after another, feet shuffling, turning, stepping with ease. —Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 4 Aug. 2025

Parfums de Marly is an ode to uniqueness, a celebration of individuality, and an invitation to embrace the ultimate luxury: the freedom to be yourself! —Shivani Vora, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025

Maralyn and Maurice Bailey’s journey of being stranded at sea is a gripping ode to survival and hope. —Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 30 July 2025

Chloe Spring 1984 Ready-to-Wear Show In Karl Lagerfeld’s spring 1984 collection for Chloe, Iman boasted a theatrical hairstyle that was meant to resemble the collection’s ubiquitous ode to needleworkers. —Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 25 July 2025

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

Rhymes for ode

• blowed
• bode
• code
• crowed
• flowed
• glowed
• goad
• growed
• knowed
• load
• lode
• lowed

Kids Definition

ode

1 of 2 noun

ˈōd 

: 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"