variants
also chthonian
as in infernal
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Recent Examples of chthonic
Aeacus, a judge of the dead, and Thanatos, winged daemon of death, are chthonic.
—
Lewis Hyde, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
That’s because the Greeks distinguished between Olympian gods, who lived on Mt. Olympus, and chthonic gods, who lived in the underworld.
—Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 20 Jan. 2025
But Lloyd is less interested in the specifics of either work than in the chthonic rage underneath.
—Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2024
And no one suffers quite like the True Believer; surrendering to optimism is an invitation for chthonic forces to start doling out a whole lot of emotional rump puntings.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 16 Aug. 2024
Before the backdrop of a magmatic cavern stand three adventurers: a warrior, a mage, and a trickster who, with a roll of the dice, are preparing to defeat a tentacled chthonic beast.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 14 May 2024
Lewis Hyde, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
That’s because the Greeks distinguished between Olympian gods, who lived on Mt. Olympus, and chthonic gods, who lived in the underworld.
—Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 20 Jan. 2025
But Lloyd is less interested in the specifics of either work than in the chthonic rage underneath.
—Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2024
And no one suffers quite like the True Believer; surrendering to optimism is an invitation for chthonic forces to start doling out a whole lot of emotional rump puntings.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 16 Aug. 2024
Before the backdrop of a magmatic cavern stand three adventurers: a warrior, a mage, and a trickster who, with a roll of the dice, are preparing to defeat a tentacled chthonic beast.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 14 May 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chthonic
Adjective
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There, the adults mate, and the mass erupts like an infernal, infectious volcano, spewing out eggs.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
13 Aug. 2025
-
Roughly once a week, Nick Cave blogs about music, religion, grief, and the infernal state of world affairs through the medium of fan correspondence in his Red Hand Files newsletter.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
29 July 2025
Adjective
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Universal Hollywood’s 2023 Holidayz in Hell maze took guests through hellish versions of celebrations like Thanksgiving, where the turkey got its revenge on a family as the savory smells of the traditional dinner and fixings filled the room.—
Julie Tremaine,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
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Say hello to Earth's hellish twin!—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The large red ring is sulfurous fallout from the plume of the Pele volcano.—
Robin Andrews,
Wired News,
15 June 2025
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By 1990, bootleg versions of the book had washed up for sale in the pages of far-right magazines, peddled alongside sulfurous predictions of American concentration camps and a helpful who’s who of global elitists.—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harper's Magazine,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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It was once widely believed throughout Europe that stars produced an ethereal fluid that somehow influenced earthly affairs.—
Martha Barnette
August 6,
Literary Hub,
6 Aug. 2025
-
Most scientists with relevant expertise suspected the specimen had been contaminated with earthly life, which is the consensus today.—
F.D. Flam,
Twin Cities,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The morning of April 1, 1976, Moore announced on a BBC radio station that at 9:47 am, Pluto would pass behind Jupiter, creating the Jovian-Plutonian Gravitational Effect.—
National Geographic,
National Geographic,
31 Mar. 2016
-
His most recent discoveries, the two tiny Plutonian satellites, were named with the help of a popular vote.—
Nadia Drake,
WIRED,
15 July 2013
Cite this Entry
“Chthonic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chthonic. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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