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
-
Linda Cardellini offers up a killer breakdown to the roaring chorus of the lawn guy’s infernal leaf blower.—
Andy Andersen,
Vulture,
23 Mar. 2026
-
La Fontaine’s fable runs to 44 lines; after the infernal prologue, the remaining 40 sketch the fortunes of Hell’s two daughters.—
Jan Steyn,
The Dial,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
After a hellish July 4th, most of the remaining day shift make their way to the roof.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Right around that time, the Venice Film Festival saw Mamoru Hosoda’s anime epic Scarlet, in which the Danish prince became an ass-kicking Danish princess consigned to a hellish and phantasmagoric underworld.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Spoiled egg salad may have a sour or sulfurous odor, slimy or watery texture, and other signs of spoilage such as dark spots, mold, bubbles, or fizzing.—
Lisa Cericola,
Southern Living,
21 Apr. 2026
-
The secret to keeping it tasty and not sulfurous is to barely cook the broccoli.—
Shilpa Uskokovic,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
That’s to say, there’s earthly authority and there’s heavenly authority.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
-
This silence has led a handful of scholars to insist that Paul knew no earthly Jesus at all.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 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 25 Apr. 2026.
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