odyssey

noun

od·​ys·​sey ˈä-də-sē 

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.

—John Edgar Wideman

2

: an intellectual or spiritual wandering or quest

an odyssey of self-discovery

a spiritual odyssey from disbelief to faith

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.

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 on the Web

Sources described the project as an intimate family drama that exponentially develops into a vast science fiction odyssey. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 16 Dec. 2025

The design brief that Mike and Sharon Matas compiled at the outset of their Sea Ranch odyssey delivers a veritable master class in the art of communicating intent, philosophy, and aesthetic direction. —Mayer Rus, Architectural Digest, 15 Dec. 2025

The following list of darkly gripping movies include undercover police operations, addictive assassin dramas, and perilous hijacking odysseys based on true stories. —Griff Griffin, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2025

The Chicago singer and producer’s hairpin-turning odyssey through hip-hop, jazz, and experimental music elevates her artistry with each crushing revelation. —Pitchfork, 4 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

the Odyssey, epic poem attributed to Homer recounting the long wanderings of Odysseus

First Known Use

1886, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for odyssey

• geodesy

Kids Definition

odyssey

noun

od·​ys·​sey ˈäd-ə-sē 

plural odysseys

: a long wandering or series of travels

Etymology

named for the Odyssey, a long poem from ancient Greece telling the story of the 10-year wanderings of Odysseus, a Greek hero and king