nymph

noun

ˈnim(p)f How to pronounce nymph (audio)
Definition of nymphnext
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 present-day framing takes place on the island where an exhausted Odysseus (Matt Damon) washed up 10 years after the Battle of Troy, and is now held captive by the nymph Calypso (Charlize Theron). — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 23 July 2026 His post featured a link to a three-minute clip of a scene between the hero Odysseus and the nymph Calypso, as created by Grok Imagine. — Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 22 July 2026 The teaser depicts a scene between Odysseus and the nymph Calypso. — Nikki McCann Ramirez, Rolling Stone, 22 July 2026 Charlize Theron, portraying the immortal nymph Calypso, offered perhaps the most understated interpretation of method dressing. — Alex Badia, Footwear News, 21 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for nymph
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nymph
  1. mermaid
  2. larva
  3. girl
  4. dryad
Noun
  • On a beautiful summer day in July, seven-year-old Penelope is turning into a mermaid.
    — Ava Berger, NPR, 26 July 2026
  • We’re introduced, in a kingdom under the seas ruled by merpeople, to an idealistic and sweet-hearted redheaded mermaid princess fascinated by the human world; in this version, Lara.
    — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 24 July 2026
Definition of mermaid
Noun
  • The egg hatches into a legless larva that consumes the paralyzed insect.
    — Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2026
  • If cut open, there may be a wasp larva or a mite inside the gall.
    — Pamm Cooper, Hartford Courant, 25 July 2026
Definition of larva
Noun
  • Some choose to go beyond the purely traditional in favor of celebrations that feel personal and memorable; like a girls’ night in or a day by the sea.
    — Sarah Zendejas, Vogue, 28 July 2026
  • The 21-year-old musician, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, is accused of killing and dismembering the teenage girl to prevent her from disclosing details about their relationship ahead of the release of his album, prosecutors said.
    — Jason Kravarik, CNN Money, 27 July 2026
Definition of girl
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
Definition of dryad

Phrases Containing nymph

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nuzzling
nymph
nymphomania
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Cite this Entry

“Nymph.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nymph. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on nymph

Nglish: Translation of nymph for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about nymph

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