orgy

noun or·gy \ ˈȯr-jē \

Updated on: 14 Apr 2018

Definition of orgy

plural orgies

1 : secret ceremonial rites held in honor of an ancient Greek or Roman deity and usually characterized by ecstatic singing and dancing

Roman orgies in honor of Bacchus

2 a : drunken revelry

b : a sexual encounter involving many people; also : an excessive sexual indulgence (see indulgence 4a)

3 : excessive indulgence (see indulgence 4a) in something especially to satisfy an inordinate appetite or craving

an orgy of destruction

a national orgy of thrill seeking and risk taking
—K. T. Greenfeld

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Recent Examples of orgy from the Web

Also, the book features a really bizarre and problematic orgy, along with some real weird stuff about a giant magic turtle that created the universe.

— matt miller, Esquire, "10 Movies That Had Drastically Different Endings Than Their Books," 23 Feb. 2018
Another claimant, a Los Angeles musician named Matthew Lentz, said he was conceived by Manson at a 1967 orgy.

— washington post, BostonGlobe.com, "Grandson wins battle for frozen remains of Charles Manson," 13 Mar. 2018
Another purported son, Matthew Lentz, who claims he was fathered by Manson during a Wisconsin orgy, supported Brunner's petition.

— CBS News, "Charles Manson's grandson wins bizarre battle over cult leader's body," 12 Mar. 2018
Lentz claimed that Manson fathered him during a Wisconsin orgy and was named as his sole beneficiary in a 2017 will that Manson purportedly signed.

— tim stelloh, NBC News, "Charles Manson’s body will go to his grandson, judge rules," 12 Mar. 2018
Another purported son, Matthew Lentz, who claims he was fathered by Manson during a Wisconsin orgy, appeared in court Wednesday for the first time, Walters said.

— brian melley, Fox News, "Charles Manson corpse not expected to be on ice much longer," 8 Mar. 2018
Quick cut to what can most accurately be described as a debaucherous demon orgy.

— kevin warwick, Chicago Reader, "Everything Is Terrible! plumb the depths of hell in The Great Satan," 19 Feb. 2018
An orgy of mutual disgust now greets every mass shooting in America.

— mona charen, National Review, "Don’t Name Mass Shooters," 16 Feb. 2018
Frosting swoops become a disgusting orgy of finger-sucking and pant-wiping.

— jonathan kauffman, San Francisco Chronicle, "Forget Doritos. How ladylike are other snacks?," 7 Feb. 2018

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

Unsexy orgies

Orgy is a word which for many immediately conjures salacious imagery and blushed cheeks. However, both the oldest and the most recently-adopted senses of this word contain meanings which may not be at all sexual in nature. The word first came into English in the middle of the 16th century in reference to secret ceremonial rites, particularly those of the Romans and ancient Greeks, which involved singing and dancing. The licentious meaning was not added until the beginning of the 18th century. And the most recent senses (“a riotous display” and “a manifestation of extreme indulgence”), which may describe such things as an assembly of garish colors or a spectacle of destruction, appear to date from the late 19th century.