Bacchus
Americannoun
noun
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In painting, Bacchus is often depicted eating a bunch of grapes and surrounded by satyrs.
A “bacchanalian” party or feast is marked by unrestrained drunkenness. The name recalls a Roman festival called Bacchanalia.
Etymology
Origin of Bacchus
< Latin < Greek Bákkhos
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.
These are two Europeans: Miriam, a deeply feeling, moody, beautiful Jewish-British painter with a mysterious past; and Donatello, an Italian Bacchus who closely resembles the ancient Greek sculptor Praxiteles’ “Faun.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026
Almut also decides, in secret, to participate in the prestigious Bacchus D’Or cooking competition, but does not tell Tobias, a decision that is sure to backfire on her.
From Salon • Oct. 11, 2024
The Bacchus stands on plinth on a street corner near the famous Ponte Vecchio bridge and is a modern replica of the 16th Century work by sculptor Giambologna.
From BBC • Jul. 17, 2024
Grapes have been associated with pleasure since ancient times, a symbol of Bacchus, the god of wine and revelry.
From New York Times • Feb. 28, 2024
Percy glanced up at Bacchus, deciding what final curse he would hurl at the useless wine god, when he saw a shape in the sky above the Colosseum—a large dark oval descending rapidly.
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
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.
