ferryman

noun

fer·​ry·​man ˈfer-ē-mən How to pronounce ferryman (audio)
ˈfe-rē-
: a person who operates a ferry

Examples of ferryman in a Sentence

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.
Perhaps, like the poet A. E. Housman in The Invention of Love, Stoppard — gone now at 88, the cause unspecified — stands at this moment on the banks of the River Styx, waiting for the old ferryman Charon. Sara Holdren, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025 When dead animals start showing up around town, a superstitious ferryman claims he’s seen the Mansfield girls shapeshift into feral hounds. Shannon Carlin, Time, 22 May 2025 The name of the ferryman was Charon, a dark figure with fiery eyes, who required you to pay a toll. Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 8 May 2025 Kentridge likens the captain to the ferryman, Charon, in Greek mythology transporting the dead across the river Styx to the underworld. Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ferryman

Word History

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ferryman was in the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ferryman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ferryman. Accessed 20 Dec. 2025.

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!