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 Calypso is a nymph that Odysseus encounters on the mythical island of Ogygia. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 26 July 2026 The thick mats cover up the rocky streambed where invertebrates like mayfly nymphs like to live, and instead creates habitats for smaller insects, chironomids and worms. — Hannah Smith july 25, Idaho Statesman, 25 July 2026 Diving deeper into stories of sirens, nymphs, and of course gods, several ancient dogs had stories of their own. — Maddie Rhodes, USA Today, 24 July 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for nymph
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nymph
  1. mermaid
  2. larva
  3. girl
  4. dryad
Noun
  • 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
  • The journey to the sea largely sees Melody enter a mermaid kingdom that hasn’t moved on or grown in the decade since the events of the original.
    — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of mermaid
Noun
  • The flesh-eating New World Screwworm is the parasitic larva that emerges from eggs laid by flies in the open wounds or body openings of warm-blooded animals and humans, with untreated cases potentially leading to severe injury or death.
    — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The egg hatches into a legless larva that consumes the paralyzed insect.
    — Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2026
Definition of larva
Noun
  • As a result, for every 100 boys who can read and write, just 84 girls can.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Nor could anyone recall a rich romantic life, aside from a girl Franco remembered Becerra dating toward the end of senior year.
    — Ben Paviour August 17, Sacbee.com, 17 Aug. 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 18 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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