ode

1 of 2

noun

ˈōd 

plural odes

1

: a lyric poem usually marked by exaltation of feeling and style, varying length of line, and complexity of stanza forms

Keats's ode "To a Nightingale"

2

: something that shows respect for or celebrates the worth or influence of another : homage

The museum would be an ode to visual storytelling, drawn from the director's collection of film ephemera and fine art.

—Chanan Tigay

The recipe is an ode to my homeland, Vietnam, and I'd like to share it with my new friends in America.

—Gourmet

odist

ˈō-dist 

noun

-ode

2 of 2

noun combining form

1

: way : path

electrode

2

: electrode

diode

Examples of ode in a Sentence

Noun

This poem is titled, “An Ode to My Mother.”

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Euro-Country is an ode to that in-betweenness — the messy, difficult-to-box-in nature of Thompson’s feelings about fame, identity, and community. —Cat Cardenas, Rolling Stone, 30 June 2025

Each of Megan's nails is an ode to these powerful fruits with its own unique design centered around the signature swirls and swoops of the devil fruits. —Kara Nesvig, Allure, 27 June 2025

A couple of days after his spectacular performance at the TPC River Highlands, Bradley used his X account, which has over 408,000 followers, to celebrate his triumph with a poetic note — sort of an ode to his New England roots. —Julio Cesar Valdera Morales, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025

From verdant forests to majestic fjords, each step is an ode to nature and serenity. —Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 22 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle French or Late Latin; Middle French, from Late Latin, from Greek ōidē, literally, song, from aeidein, aidein to sing; akin to Greek audē voice

Noun combining form

Greek -odos, from hodos

First Known Use

Noun

1538, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for ode

• blowed
• bode
• code
• crowed
• flowed
• glowed
• goad
• growed
• knowed
• load
• lode
• lowed

Kids Definition

ode

1 of 2 noun

ˈōd 

: a lyric poem that expresses a noble feeling with dignity

-ode

2 of 2 noun combining form

ˌōd

1

: way : path

electrode

2

: electrode

diode

Etymology

Noun combining form

derived from Greek hodos "way, path"