Definition of naiadnext
1
as in nymph
a mythical goddess represented as a young girl and said to live outdoors in Greek mythology, naiads supposedly drowned the young men with whom they became enamored

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2
as in larva
a young wingless often wormlike form (as a grub or caterpillar) that hatches from the egg of many insects students in science class learning how to distinguish a dragonfly naiad from an earthworm

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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 naiad Today, the naiads frolic in water that is periodically drained for cleaning and maintenance. David Laskin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 June 2024 And now, as played with fierce physicality and grueling commitment by Annette Bening, Diana is a movie character: an impossible person who achieved the impossible, a naiad whose truer mythological counterpart might be Narcissus. Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2023 Leighton set his youthful figure — a classical nymph or naiad — in a Mediterranean setting. Washington Post, 12 Oct. 2022 The lovely Arcadia region, lush with cypress, poplar, and olive groves, bears traces of the virgin wilderness where nymphs, naiads, and the horned god Pan once frolicked. Thomas Linkel, National Geographic, 18 July 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for naiad
Noun
  • The emergence of nymphs, along with more people spending time outdoors, are among the reasons tick bites tend to be highest in May.
    ABC News, ABC News, 25 Apr. 2026
  • The eggs overwinter, and small nymphs emerge in the early spring.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Both beetles and moths go through a four-stage life cycle of egg, larva (grub), pupa, and adult.
    Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 18 Apr. 2026
  • People often submerse themselves in water to ease their suffering, allowing the worm to release larva that then infect others.
    Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 2 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Mermaid Look For the mermaid, one of the biggest visual challenges, the team opted for practical rather than CGI effects, for budget reasons but also to allow for more realistic scenes.
    Annika Pham, Variety, 22 Apr. 2026
  • Greek director Konstantina Kotzamani’s Titanic Ocean, coming-of-age tale set in a special boarding school in Japan that trains teenage girls into professional mermaids, will also debut in Un Certain Regard.
    Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 22 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • 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

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Cite this Entry

“Naiad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/naiad. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.

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