Circe

American  

[sur-see] / ˈsɜr si /

noun

1. Also called Aeaea.  Classical Mythology. Also the enchantress represented by Homer as turning the companions of Odysseus into swine by means of a magic drink.

2. a dangerously or irresistibly fascinating woman.

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Circe British  

/ ˈsɜːsɪ /

noun

1. Greek myth an enchantress who detained Odysseus on her island and turned his men into swine

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Circe Cultural  

1. In classical mythology, a powerful sorceress who turned people into swine. On the way home from Troy, the crew of Odysseus fell prey to her spells.

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Other Word Forms

• Circaean
  adjective
• Circean
  adjective

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Circe

Samantha Morton’s Circe is the most obvious, along with Charlize Theron’s Calypso.

From Salon ● Sep. 3, 2026

Meanwhile NielsenIQ noted many related works -- including "The Iliad", Madeline Miller's "Circe" and Margaret Atwood's "The Penelopiad" -- had also seen "significant" sales uplifts.

From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026

They remain for a year, feasting and recovering, before Circe helps them prepare for the journey ahead.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

Also in the field of women’s monstrosity, there’s Madeline Miller’s Circe and other contemporary feminist retellings, fiction that rehabilitates female villains of legend and literature, from Lady Macbeth to Baba Yaga to Japanese yokai.

From Slate ● Oct. 28, 2024

Circe and Medea are the only witches and they are young and of surpassing beauty—delightful, not horrible.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton