1
Gorgon
: any of three snake-haired sisters in Greek mythology whose appearance turns the beholder to stone
2
: an ugly or repulsive woman
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The Gorgons were three monstrous sisters in Greek mythology, the most famous of whom was Medusa. They had snakes for hair, and anyone who looked directly at them was immediately turned to stone. Medusa herself was finally beheaded by the hero Perseus, who avoided looking straight at her by instead watching her reflection in his mirrorlike shield. Today the familiar types of jellyfish, with long snakelike tentacles descending from their headlike bodies, are known as medusas.
Examples of gorgon in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Giana Levy, Variety, 23 Sep. 2025
Furs are werewolves, Fangs are vampires, Stoners are gorgons and Scales are sirens, leader of whom is Bianca Barclay (Joy Sunday).
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 4 Aug. 2025
Combining archaeological evidence with historical accounts, geography and myth, researchers have concluded that Gorham’s Cave was likely the spiritual site that early seafarers believed to have been the home of the Gorgons, and the site of Medusa’s defeat.
—Shoshi Parks, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Sep. 2024
Those themes are evident in the salon decorated with giant nautilus shells, gorgons of the sea and other old nautical items.
—Chloe Braithwaite, Robb Report, 25 Apr. 2024
The East Coast socialites Capote fawns over are lacquered gorgons (for whom the show occasionally sheds crocodile tears, as in the case of Paley’s cancer diagnosis); the Hollywood crowd that takes him in is tasteless lightweights.
—Mike Hale, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2024
Playwright Kenny Hahn delves into the human side of the famous gorgon.
—John Coffren, Baltimore Sun, 9 Feb. 2023
Instead of an evil monster, Haynes’s Medusa is a beloved gorgon sister with a keen intellect and a curiosity about the human world.
—Becky Meloan, Washington Post, 1 Feb. 2023
Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 21 Apr. 2026
His charges are a type of soft coral called gorgonians.
—Greg Allen, NPR, 21 Oct. 2025
Looking at the patterns of sessile, or immobile, species like corals, macroalgae, sponges, and gorgonians—a type of coral that includes sea fans—the team found that animals living in deeper waters were likely to have longer lives.
—National Geographic, 31 Mar. 2018
Sunlight streams through the water, backlighting a large gorgonian.
—Enric Sala, Discover Magazine, 22 Sep. 2015
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Noun
The studio is also developing an original horror film with Anna Chazelle based on the one of the Greek gorgon sisters, Medusa.
—Giana Levy, Variety, 23 Sep. 2025
Furs are werewolves, Fangs are vampires, Stoners are gorgons and Scales are sirens, leader of whom is Bianca Barclay (Joy Sunday).
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 4 Aug. 2025
Combining archaeological evidence with historical accounts, geography and myth, researchers have concluded that Gorham’s Cave was likely the spiritual site that early seafarers believed to have been the home of the Gorgons, and the site of Medusa’s defeat.
—Shoshi Parks, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Sep. 2024
Those themes are evident in the salon decorated with giant nautilus shells, gorgons of the sea and other old nautical items.
—Chloe Braithwaite, Robb Report, 25 Apr. 2024
The East Coast socialites Capote fawns over are lacquered gorgons (for whom the show occasionally sheds crocodile tears, as in the case of Paley’s cancer diagnosis); the Hollywood crowd that takes him in is tasteless lightweights.
—Mike Hale, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2024
Playwright Kenny Hahn delves into the human side of the famous gorgon.
—John Coffren, Baltimore Sun, 9 Feb. 2023
Instead of an evil monster, Haynes’s Medusa is a beloved gorgon sister with a keen intellect and a curiosity about the human world.
—Becky Meloan, Washington Post, 1 Feb. 2023
Noun
Climate change may be slowing rather than accelerating species turnover, as well as encouraging male frogs’ calls to reach peak intensity earlier and causing Mediterranean gorgonians to prematurely release their gametes.
—Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 21 Apr. 2026
His charges are a type of soft coral called gorgonians.
—Greg Allen, NPR, 21 Oct. 2025
Looking at the patterns of sessile, or immobile, species like corals, macroalgae, sponges, and gorgonians—a type of coral that includes sea fans—the team found that animals living in deeper waters were likely to have longer lives.
—National Geographic, 31 Mar. 2018
Sunlight streams through the water, backlighting a large gorgonian.
—Enric Sala, Discover Magazine, 22 Sep. 2015
Cite this Entry
“Gorgon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gorgon. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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