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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But in the case of the Rockies in recent years, that’s just been infernal noise.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
15 Feb. 2026
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Those lessons are reinforced in songs (by Shawn Coleman), which sound like every infernal childhood jingle that ever got stuck in your head.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The blood seeps up the edges of her white skirts — that’s going to be hellish to try to get out.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Finding the beauty in that hellish croak — something that Josh Groban was able to do in the last Broadway revival — can prove exceptionally difficult.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Dante’s description of Hell is said by some to have been inspired by the landscape of sulfurous steam plumes found in Devil’s Valley in Tuscany.—
Rivka Galchen,
New Yorker,
17 Nov. 2025
-
Hydrogen sulfide is colorless, but has a sulfurous smell, similar to rotten eggs.—
Rachel Wolf , Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Itsstark, alien landscape — with striking production design by the legendary Yoshirô Muraki (Ran, Kagemusha, Throne of Blood) — doesn’t feel earthly in any way, shape, or form.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2026
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Iran’s rulers, like many religious fundamentalists, celebrate indifference to earthly life and pin their sights on posthumous rewards.—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
6 Feb. 2026
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 21 Feb. 2026.
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