Dionysus

American

[dahy-uh-nahy-suhs] / ˌdaɪ əˈnaɪ səs /

Or Dionysos

noun

Classical Mythology.

the god of fertility, wine, and drama; Bacchus.

Dionysus British

/ ˌdaɪəˈnaɪsəs /

noun

the Greek god of wine, fruitfulness, and vegetation, worshipped in orgiastic rites. He was also known as the bestower of ecstasy and god of the drama, and identified with Bacchus

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Dionysus Cultural

The Greek name for Bacchus, the Greek and Roman god of wine and revelry.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

To the left, “Painting and Sculpture” clutches a palette while cradling a miniaturized replica of the Dionysus torso from the Parthenon.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

Organisers have instead moved the ceremony at the Olympia archaeological museum, where one of Greece's most famous classical sculptures, Hermes and the Infant Dionysus by Praxiteles, is housed.

From Barron's • Nov. 25, 2025

It depicts Dionysus journeying to Hades to retrieve a poet who can help Athens in crisis, culminating in a contest between Aeschylus and Euripides.

From Salon • Apr. 13, 2025

Jolly added it was obvious that the tableau was not inspired by The Last Supper given the presence of a figure representing the Greek god Dionysus.

From BBC • Jul. 30, 2024

Dionysus went around growing refreshment stands out of the ground, and a beautiful woman walked with him arm in arm—his wife, Ariadne.

From "The Titan's Curse" by Rick Riordan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023