orphic

adjective

Definition of orphicnext
as in mystical

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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 orphic Sonia Delaunay’s Electric Prisms (1913), with its titular nod to advances in electricity still relatively new at the time, underscores the decidedly urban tenor of Orphic painting in this regard. — Ara H. Merjian, ARTnews.com, 3 Sep. 2019 Readers mystified by any of the author’s orphic lingo will find full explanations in the book’s extensive glossary. — Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, 23 Aug. 2018 As if fearing that too lyrical an approach to such an orphic figure would result in incoherence, Gooch describes this poet’s life in a decidedly unpoetic way. — The Washington Post, The Denver Post, 20 Jan. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for orphic
  1. mystical
  2. mystic
  3. mysterious
  4. enigmatic
  5. uncanny
  6. inscrutable
  7. complex
  8. darkling
Adjective
  • Belugas are beautiful, mystical creatures; anyone proximate to them would feel their loss acutely.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Directed by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, the story follows around two best friends who get stranded in a mystical world.
    — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of mystical
Adjective
  • Two translations—of poems by the Indian mystic Mirabai and the contemporary Romanian poet Radu Vancu—seek to inhabit and transcend the history that holds up the present.
    — Craig Morgan Teicher, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Rumi is also the name of a very famous 13th-century Persian poet and mystic.
    — Sarah Scott, Parents, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of mystic
Adjective
  • Jesse Plemons is superb as his mysterious Kenny becomes a key player in all this, and there is also exemplary work from Emma D’Arcy as Lina, Digger’s ever-faithful assistant, and Sophie Wilde who watches over the action with a keen eye.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2026
  • But key details of this profound primordial transition, such as its threshold energy and density, have remained deeply mysterious.
    — Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of mysterious
Adjective
  • Then come the enigmatic Moai of Easter Island and the luminous lagoons of French Polynesia.
    — Guy Bigiaoui, Miami Herald, 28 Sep. 2026
  • What begins as an intimate portrait of an enigmatic felon becomes a mind-bending three-year journey into the abyss.
    — Isabelle Farina, Variety, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of enigmatic
Adjective
  • Phoebe Bridgers, in her first film role, pulls off an uncanny transformation as a decoy who bends lines of age and gender.
    — Joe Reid, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026
  • One of Mahomes’ many uncanny traits is that this traction and momentum will only feed off itself.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of uncanny
Adjective
  • The Verge, a technology news publication, argued that the system’s name – Ask Delphi – encouraged users to see the system as an inscrutable source of superior knowledge.
    — Ambuj Tewari, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Every year, Congress prefaces the defense budget with massive reports describing the purpose of inscrutable line items.
    — William Turton, ProPublica, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of inscrutable
Adjective
  • This can improve variant detection, especially in complex regions and across diverse populations.
    — Euan Ashley, STAT, 1 Oct. 2026
  • For both Prince and Jafa are artists with a deep reverence for and complex understanding of the profane.
    — Tina M. Campt, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of complex
Adjective
  • Its 19th-century spire lit up like a matchstick against the darkling sky, its tip cracking and plunging through the ceiling.
    — Michael Kimmelman, New York Times, 6 Dec. 2024
Definition of darkling

Browse Nearby Words

orphaned
orphic
orthodox
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Cite this Entry

“Orphic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/orphic. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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