Gilgamesh
noun
Gil·ga·mesh
ˈgil-gə-ˌmesh 
gil-ˈgä-
: a legendary Sumerian king and hero of the Gilgamesh Epic
Examples of Gilgamesh in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There was also Enkidu, a legendary figure and friend of the iconic Gilgamesh in Mesopotamian (Sumerian) mythology and Ótr, who, in Norse mythology, could take any form but usually picked that of an otter.
—
Monisha Ravisetti, Space.com, 22 Jan. 2025
Humanity’s oldest epic is a doomed quest for immortality: Around four millenniums ago, the Sumerians told of a Mesopotamian king named Gilgamesh who set out to find life everlasting and briefly located a youth-restoring plant, only to lose it on his way home.
—Joe Kloc, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2025
The Sumerian king, Gilgamesh, had so much power over his subjects and abused them, even their gods were appalled and reined him in.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 2 May 2024
Our oldest work of epic literature tells the story of King Gilgamesh and his struggle with mortality.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2024
Its librarians preserved 30,000 of them—including the 4,000-year-old Epic of Gilgamesh.
—Sarah Wild, Scientific American, 16 July 2024
October 30, 2023 5 min read From Gilgamesh to Star Wars, the narrative blueprint underpinning many heroic tales can offer a powerful way to reframe experiences
By Ben Rogers, Kurt Gray & Mike Christian
What do Beowulf, Batman and Barbie all have in common?
—Ben Rogers, Scientific American, 30 Oct. 2023
The Gilgamesh tablet was bought by Hobby Lobby in 2014 for $1.67 million with the hope of displaying it at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., whose founder and board chair is Steve Green, Hobby Lobby’s president.
—Alex Greenberger For Artnews, Robb Report, 4 Aug. 2021
At the end of A Forest Journey, Perlin returns to the Epic of Gilgamesh.
—Eugene Linden, TIME, 21 Apr. 2024
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.
Monisha Ravisetti, Space.com, 22 Jan. 2025
Humanity’s oldest epic is a doomed quest for immortality: Around four millenniums ago, the Sumerians told of a Mesopotamian king named Gilgamesh who set out to find life everlasting and briefly located a youth-restoring plant, only to lose it on his way home.
—Joe Kloc, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2025
The Sumerian king, Gilgamesh, had so much power over his subjects and abused them, even their gods were appalled and reined him in.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 2 May 2024
Our oldest work of epic literature tells the story of King Gilgamesh and his struggle with mortality.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2024
Its librarians preserved 30,000 of them—including the 4,000-year-old Epic of Gilgamesh.
—Sarah Wild, Scientific American, 16 July 2024
October 30, 2023 5 min read From Gilgamesh to Star Wars, the narrative blueprint underpinning many heroic tales can offer a powerful way to reframe experiences
By Ben Rogers, Kurt Gray & Mike Christian
What do Beowulf, Batman and Barbie all have in common?
—Ben Rogers, Scientific American, 30 Oct. 2023
The Gilgamesh tablet was bought by Hobby Lobby in 2014 for $1.67 million with the hope of displaying it at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., whose founder and board chair is Steve Green, Hobby Lobby’s president.
—Alex Greenberger For Artnews, Robb Report, 4 Aug. 2021
At the end of A Forest Journey, Perlin returns to the Epic of Gilgamesh.
—Eugene Linden, TIME, 21 Apr. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Gilgamesh.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Gilgamesh. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share