Definition of dryadnext
as in nymph
a mythical goddess represented as a young girl and said to live outdoors dryads were said to live within trees, their lives ending when the life of the tree ended

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 dryad In Ovid’s version of the story, after cutting down a sacred oak, Erysichthon is cursed with insatiable hunger by the dryad nymph who inhabited it. Ellen Walker, JSTOR Daily, 3 Sep. 2025 Having regained his health, Geralt heads off with Jaskier and the dryad Milva to find Ciri, following a little skirmish with some power-mad guards. Nick Romano, EW.com, 27 July 2023 Merlin and Cosmo are both in their 30s, with dark curly hair and similarly rangy builds, though Merlin’s face is more delicate, as though a distant ancestor might have been part elf or dryad. Jennifer Kahn, New York Times, 8 June 2023 Players will start out controlling a centaur with a whip as their dungeon manager, but eventually a dryad enchantress and monkey engineer can also be unlocked, with each master necessitating various styles of gameplay. Jason Bennett, Arkansas Online, 24 May 2021 Isaac, the dryad Lena Greenwood, and the fire-spider Smudge lead the efforts to uncover the mystery. John Booth, WIRED, 7 Aug. 2012
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dryad
Noun
  • Deer ticks, for example, can range from the size of a pinhead as larvae to a poppy seed in the nymph stage, to a sesame seed as adults.
    Amanda Roome, The Conversation, 16 July 2026
  • Even the idyllic island on which the nymph Calypso (Charlize Theron) is keeping an amnesiac Odysseus when the film begins is depicted as a windswept sandbar that looks in danger of being washed away by a strong-enough storm.
    Alison Willmore, Vulture, 15 July 2026
Noun
  • Between rough-cut fringe, mermaid wave extensions, a bouffant side part and a slicked ponytail, Madix and Bembridge fearlessly sampled every style and silhouette in the big book of hair this season.
    Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 13 July 2026
  • Played by the talented Halle Bailey, young mermaid Ariel yearns to be on land, has the hots for Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King) – who at least gets a character arc this time – and agrees to a bad deal with witchy Ursula (Melissa McCarthy).
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 10 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Dryad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dryad. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

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