odyssey

noun od·ys·sey \ ˈä-də-sē \

|Updated on: 6 Jun 2018

Examples: odyssey in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

Definition of odyssey

plural odysseys

1 : a long wandering or voyage usually marked by many changes of fortune

his odyssey from rural South to urban North, from poverty to affluence, from Afro-American folk culture to a Eurocentric world of books
—J. E. Wideman

2 : an intellectual or spiritual wandering or quest

an odyssey of self-discovery

a spiritual odyssey from disbelief to faith

See odyssey defined for English-language learners

See odyssey defined for kids

Examples of odyssey in a Sentence

The story is about the emotional odyssey experienced by a teenage girl.
the spiritual odyssey of the deeply religious

Recent Examples of odyssey from the Web

The next stop on his odyssey is the Finals, and a chance to finish on a high note.

— sean meagher, OregonLive.com, "Golden State Warriors vs Cleveland Cavaliers NBA Finals Game 1 score, TV channel, how to watch live stream," 31 May 2018
Then, if they are convicted of conspiring in the worst terror attack on U.S. soil, the lawyers want to be able to argue that their odyssey through the black sites strips the United States of the moral authority to execute them.

— carol rosenberg, miamiherald, "Lawyers: Scan suggests alleged 9/11 plotter suffered head injury in CIA custody | Miami Herald," 30 Apr. 2018
Mastering the hand exercises at Union Memorial is the last step of his medical odyssey — and perhaps the most important since trauma surgeons saved his life.

— meredith cohn, baltimoresun.com, "Baltimore police officer spends four years recovering from gunshots in hope of returning to duty," 5 Apr. 2018
In this odyssey, Cora navigates dangers that span centuries with only her indomitable will to guide her.

— caroline rogers, Southern Living, "50 Books from the Past 50 Years Everyone Should Read at Least Once," 26 Feb. 2018
The question remains, can Salah carry his countrymen on a Russian odyssey?

— SI.com, "How Far Can Liverpool Superstar Mohamed Salah Carry the Pharoahs at the FIFA World Cup?," 9 May 2018
The story behind Reddit's redesign isn't just the odyssey to make Reddit look a little nicer.

— arielle pardes, WIRED, "The Inside Story of Reddit's Redesign," 2 Apr. 2018
Given 20,000 Francs and explicit traveling instructions — beginning with never admit to being Jewish — Jo and Maurice embark on an odyssey marked by danger, bravery and a certain mischievously enjoyable, parentless freedom.

— robert abele, latimes.com, "Boyhood wartime escape drama 'A Bag of Marbles' is an emotional roller coaster," 22 Mar. 2018
What began as a concentrated and specific work about the legacy of Chicago high school basketball mutated into a six-year odyssey and labor of love for the filmmakers as well as a cautionary tale and healing process for its subjects.

— patrick z. mcgavin, Chicago Reader, "State basketball powerhouse Orr Academy’s incredible rise to glory bared in gripping new film," 12 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'odyssey.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Odysseus, the hero of Homer's Odyssey, spends 20 years traveling home from the Trojan War. He has astonishing adventures and learns a great deal about himself and the world; he even descends to the underworld to talk to the dead. Thus, an odyssey is any long, complicated journey, often a quest for a goal, and may be a spiritual or psychological journey as well as an actual voyage.