1
as in mermaid
a mythical goddess represented as a young girl and said to live outdoors she bought the book of fairy tales for the beautiful engravings of nymphs and fairies featured between the stories

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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 mayfly nymphs

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3
as in girl
a female person who has not yet reached adulthood the neighborhood nymphs were gathered at the local pizza parlor

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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 nymph The ticks live and feed on the deer, particularly during the insect's nymph and adult years, which can last up to three years. Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 29 Aug. 2025 In Ovid’s poem, Narcissus is loved by a nymph, whose name is Echo. A.o. Scott, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025 The immature or nymph stage is similar in shape but more red than adult bugs. Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 23 Aug. 2025 Dragonfly nymphs have a lower section of their mandibles that kind of unhinges, shoots forward, grabs stuff, and comes back in again, so very much like the Alien! Richard Edwards, Space.com, 12 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for nymph
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nymph
Noun
  • As for her glam, Strogoff wore her bright blonde hair in loose mermaid waves and darkened her eyebrows to a near black for a bold contrast.
    Starr Bowenbank, PEOPLE, 2 Oct. 2025
  • This hotel, which appeals to budget-conscious travelers with its free aquarium and mermaid show, offers free self-parking and valet parking.
    Michael Salerno, AZCentral.com, 2 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The parasite, a larva of the Cochliomyia hominivorax fly, attacks warm-blooded animals, including humans.
    Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2025
  • The parasitic flies produce larva that feed on living tissue, typically that of animals and livestock.
    N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • My mother worked with a lovely family who had adopted a boy and a girl.
    Kurtcia Collazo, IndyStar, 11 Oct. 2025
  • While Abigail Spanberger stood with her running mate Jay Jones and his murderous fantasies, and evaded every direct question including equivocating over men being in locker rooms with girls.
    Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 11 Oct. 2025
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
Noun
  • And coupled with Bottle of Rouge’s upset victory Saturday in the Del Mar Debutante – Baffert’s 12th win in the fillies’ 2-year-old championship race – Baffert has now swept the juvenile titles two straight years and eight times since 1996.
    Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Sep. 2025
  • The other is the John C. Mabee Stakes for fillies and mares on turf, which drew a competitive field Saturday.
    Kevin Modesti, Oc Register, 4 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Nymph.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nymph. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.

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