Promethean
adjective
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As some versions of the story go in Greek mythology, Prometheus (one of the Titan giants) modeled humans from clay and then taught them agriculture and all the arts of civilization. He also stole fire from the gods and gave it to humans. So inventive was he that anything that bears the stamp of creativity and originality can still be called Promethean. Zeus, however, had wanted the human race to perish, so Prometheus' actions were also disobedient. Hence Promethean can also mean defiant of authority or limits. As punishment for his disobedience, Zeus chained Prometheus to a rock where an eagle daily tore at his liver. Thus, any suffering on a grand scale can also be called Promethean - though this sense is not as common as the others.
Synonyms
Examples of Promethean in a Sentence
Jamie Merisotis, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023
Others threaten nature with Promethean recklessness.
—Carl Zimmer, Discover Magazine, 3 Nov. 2010
The betterment of humankind through the conquest of space is a Promethean ambition, suitable for a world-famous billionaire.
—Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 21 Mar. 2022
Many of them are here already in the pages of The Earth Transformed, obscured only by the long Promethean shadow that Frankopan attaches to the lonely figure of Man.
—Ben Ehrenreich, The New Republic, 10 May 2023
And the way this legacy antihero is treated like an afterthought, a needless addition to the supervillian roster, a half-baked Promethean concept and, later, a plot convenience is a huge bummer for fans.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 Apr. 2023
He was cast as a Promethean figure, leading an elite of workers whose nerves and muscles, minds and souls, were utterly attuned to the technological production systems themselves.
—Bogdan Costea, Fortune, 30 Mar. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Promethean.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Promethean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Promethean. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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