Odyssey
Americannoun
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Odysseys
plural
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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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How does odyssey compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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
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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.
See Examples For:
According to the show's curators, elements of Flaxman's sketches can be seen in Turner's painting called Ulysses Deriding Polyphemus – Homer's Odyssey, including outlines of horses in the sunset and the shadow of a cyclops.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" sailed into a close third place, drawing another $7.4 million domestically, for an epic $1.64 billion over its nine-week global box office journey.
From Barron's ● Sep. 13, 2026
L.A. theater director Bart DeLorenzo adapts and directs a new version of Ibsen’s savagely timely ‘Enemy of the People’ at the Odyssey Theatre.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026
“Beginning Middle End” unfolds in 24 parts, emulating the structure of the Odyssey.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
It was written a thousand years ago and is twice the length of Homer’s Odyssey and Iliad combined.
From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan
Odysseys Unlimited has suspended its Israel trips until March 31.
From Reuters ● Oct. 16, 2023
“We are very proud of Mount Adams down here,” said Mark Zoller, owner of Zoller’s Outdoor Odysseys, which runs rafts on the White Salmon River.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 13, 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
Moriaz in narrating to her his voyages and Odysseys, Count Abel was already acquainted with Paris, having made several long sojourns there.
From Samuel Brohl and Company by Victor Cherbuliez
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.
