Niobe

noun

Ni·o·be ˈnī-ə-bē

: a daughter of Tantalus and wife of Amphion who while weeping for her slain children is turned into a stone from which her tears continue to flow

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek Niobē

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of Niobe was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century

Browse Nearby Words

niobate

Niobe

niobic

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Niobe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Niobe. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

spontaneous

Listen to the pronunciation of spontaneous

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Using Bullet Points ( • )

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What’s the difference between ‘cemetery’ and ‘graveyard’?

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Popular in Wordplay

Skibidi, Mog & More: Gen Alpha Slang

13 Wonderful Words That You're Not Using (Yet)

Ten More Words from Taylor Swift Songs

Birds Say the Darndest Things

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Skibidi, Mog & More: Gen Alpha Slang

13 Wonderful Words That You're Not Using (Yet)