chthonic

adjective

variants also chthonian
Definition of chthonicnext
as in infernal

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of chthonic Greek myths feature dozens of chthonic divinities and forces. — Lewis Hyde, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chthonic
  1. infernal
  2. hellish
  3. sulfurous
  4. earthly
  5. plutonian
Adjective
  • Four years later in Italy, the waterworks went again, as those infernal penalty kicks tripped us up against West Germany in the semifinal.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 17 June 2026
  • 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
Definition of infernal
Adjective
  • Even with the hellish conditions bearing down around them, the engineers were able to find moments of levity.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 15 July 2026
  • In the new film, the Necronomicon — aka the Book of the Dead — creates a hellish nightmare for a widow, Alice (Souheila Yacoub), and her in-laws following the tragic death of Alice’s husband, Will (George Pullar).
    — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of hellish
Adjective
  • These might be mineral water showers or baths, cold-water enemas, or just drinking 3 glasses of stinky, sulfurous spring water daily before breakfast, while strolling and engaging in pleasant conversation on a landscaped promenade.
    — Veronique Greenwood, Time, 9 July 2026
  • Some say sulfurous and phenolic, others say straight-up skunky.
    — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 16 June 2026
Definition of sulfurous
Adjective
  • But Roosevelt continued to press for progressive tax reform even after Long departed from the political (and earthly) stage.
    — Joseph Thorndike, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
  • Sugar’s purpose in this earthly life — to reunite lost families in the City of Angels — is crumbling under the maddening impossibility of convicting a policeman of a crime in a world where the crime is the point.
    — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 24 July 2026
Definition of earthly
Adjective
  • Passionate and peculiar, this cat mirrors your Plutonian energy perfectly.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 28 Nov. 2025
  • As a fellow Scorpio, Perry channeled her Plutonian side with a bold and villainous take on the formidable sea witch.
    — Valerie Mesa, People.com, 28 Oct. 2024
Definition of plutonian

Browse Nearby Words

chronometers
chthonic
chubbiness
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Cite this Entry

“Chthonic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chthonic. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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