naiads

noun

variants or naiades
plural of naiad
1
as in nymphs
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

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2
as in larvae
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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for naiads
  1. nymphs
  2. mermaids
  3. dryads
Noun
  • Circe, the poem’s speaker, instructs the nymphs in a recipe for cooking pork.
    — Bailey Sincox, The Conversation, 6 Aug. 2026
  • And the ocean nymphs try out this wonder on more plants, and are delighted that the same thing happens at its touch, and repeat it by scattering the seeds from the plants through the waves.
    — Jan Tumlir, Artforum, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of nymphs
Noun
  • Saturday, utilizes 56,000 square feet of indoor space to host more than 200 vendors, sword-fighting, costume contests, live musicians, mermaids, fairies and photo ops.
    — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Artists, artisans, and food vendors, demonstrations of live combat styles including German longsword, fencing, and pirate swashbuckling, activities such as Squires’ spot with mermaids, games, and family entertainment.
    — Jeffrey F. Bill, Baltimore Sun, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of mermaids
Noun
  • In the final novel of the series, The Last Battle, the destruction of trees and dryads in Lantern Waste, a place tied to the creation of Narnia itself, is one of many portentous omens signalling the end of the world.
    — Ellen Walker, JSTOR Daily, 3 Sep. 2025
Definition of dryads
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.

Browse Nearby Words

naiad
naiads
naïf
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Cite this Entry

“Naiads.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/naiads. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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