Definition of odyssey
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
Indulge Your Inner Word Nerd
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
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.
Origin and Etymology of odyssey
the Odyssey, epic poem attributed to Homer recounting the long wanderings of Odysseus
First Known Use: 1886
ODYSSEY Defined for English Language Learners
odyssey
playDefinition of odyssey for English Language Learners
-
: a long journey full of adventures
-
: a series of experiences that give knowledge or understanding to someone
Learn More about odyssey
-
Spanish Central: Translation of odyssey Nglish: Translation of odyssey for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of odyssey for Arabic speakers
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up odyssey? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!