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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
  • Sacramento County health inspectors closed four restaurants this week, including Carmichael’s Royal Cuisine, where a live nymph cockroach was found crawling on the salt and pepper shakers.
    Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 16 May 2026
  • August is when the season begins to ebb, with fewer nymphs around and eggs hatching larvae that are largely free of diseases.
    Finch Walker, USA Today, 15 May 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
  • But the setting isn’t, say, a fairy tale village or a mermaid kingdom under the sea, to point at two Disney classics the film gives winking reference to.
    Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 15 May 2026
  • Mermaid dives require a separate ticket, while the mermaid meeting is included in admission.
    Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Naiad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/naiad. Accessed 17 May. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on naiad

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster