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

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 mayfly nymphs

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

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 nymph One claims that the area’s name originates from the love story between the demigod Hercules and a nymph named Amalfi. — Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 25 June 2026 Pale yellowish flakes may be shed skins from growing nymphs. — Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 June 2026 Seven different looks rotate throughout the World Cup season, each one conceived by designer Ricardo Zuccolini, with Diana Dubinsky and her team at Wynwood studio’s DesignLab22 swathing the sea nymphs in capes inspired by FIFA teams’ country colors. — Lilian Raji, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026 Praying mantis nymphs are also great aphid eaters. — Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 12 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for nymph
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nymph
  1. mermaid
  2. larva
  3. girl
  4. dryad
Noun
  • Her bodycon mermaid skirt was covered in diagonal rows of slits, exposing glimpses of her legs, hips, and butt.
    — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 1 July 2026
  • Fallon held up a 25-year-old photo of the actress and producer — who originally portrayed Elle Woods — rocking a spaghetti-strap pink fishnet mermaid dress.
    — Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 1 July 2026
Definition of mermaid
Noun
  • Fireflies go through four life stages – egg, larva, pupa and adult – in a process called complete metamorphosis.
    — Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 5 July 2026
  • Look in curled leaves that often contain webs with the larva stages — often called worms.
    — Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 June 2026
Definition of larva
Noun
  • Beyond their cool-girl air, the shoes offer plenty of support and cushioning thanks to their plush insoles that keep your arches comfortable for hours of strutting.
    — Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 7 July 2026
  • On the surface, the Supreme Court’s June 30 opinion upholding state laws barring transgender girls from women’s and girl’s sports teams looks like a victory for women’s rights.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 7 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

Browse Nearby Words

nuzzling
nymph
nymphomania
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nymph.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nymph. Accessed 13 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on nymph

Nglish: Translation of nymph for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about nymph

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All