Odyssey
Americannoun
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(italics) an epic poem attributed to Homer, describing Odysseus's adventures in his ten-year attempt to return home to Ithaca after the Trojan War.
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(often lowercase) a long series of wanderings or adventures, especially when filled with notable experiences, hardships, etc.
noun
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a Greek epic poem, attributed to Homer, describing the ten-year homeward wanderings of Odysseus after the fall of Troy
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(often not capital) any long eventful journey
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Explanation
Ever since Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey told the story of warrior Odysseus’ ten-year journey home from Troy, odyssey has meant any epic journey. As with the word journey, odyssey has both a literal meaning and a figurative one. A cross-country drive in which your car breaks down can be an odyssey, but so can the journey from orientation to finals that is the freshman year of college.
Vocabulary lists containing odyssey
The Lightning Thief
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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.
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Appeared in the July 28, 2026, print edition as 'Western Culture Will Survive This Odyssey'.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
Here are some key points on the cultural phenomenon that is "The Odyssey":
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026
LeBron James has ended his free agent Odyssey by joining three All-Stars and a rising star in Philly.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
The Manchester Odyssey has now gone on public display in the Collections Gallery at The John Rylands Library.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
The punishment of Tantalus is described often, first in the Odyssey, from which I have taken it.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
Odysseys Unlimited has suspended its Israel trips until March 31.
From Reuters ● Oct. 16, 2023
Zoller’s Outdoor Odysseys has navigated adventurous paddlers through whitewater rapids and drops for 50 years, and Wet Planet Whitewater offers rafting and kayaking classes.
From Seattle Times ● May 10, 2023
Our news cycle does not assimilate 1,000-page-plus Odysseys of immersive journalism very well.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 25, 2020
Which meant hiring someone else to do the planning for us, in this case, a Massachusetts-based tour company called Odysseys Unlimited.
From New York Times ● Jul. 25, 2018
Here's a pretty tale for future Iliads and Odysseys Mortals are about to personate the gods and goddesses.
From The Complete Plays of Gilbert and Sullivan by Gilbert, W. S. (William Schwenck), Sir
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
