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
  • At Pinecrest Gardens every vine and curve of bark will seem to conspire with this myth of a nymph who, resisting the god’s advances, turns into a laurel tree.
    Guillermo Perez, Miami Herald, 5 May 2026
  • Check not only for insects and their larvae or nymphs, but also for eggs, pupal structures, sticky honeydew, webbing, and tiny dark dots on stems and the backs of leaves.
    Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The larva will hatch and eat the paralyzed cicada.
    Pamm Cooper, Hartford Courant, 9 May 2026
  • 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
Noun
  • The 56-year-old former TV personality denied that, telling Vogue the mermaid-like sculpture is meant to depict Freyja, the Norse goddess of love, fertility, war and gold.
    Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 7 May 2026
  • That’s probably a good thing considering the vessel features a wooden sculpture of what some say is Bezos’ wife, Lauren Sánchez Bezos, as a mermaid on the prow.
    Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 7 May 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 10 May. 2026.

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