Dionysian

American  

[dahy-uh-nish-uhn, -nis-ee-uhn, -nahy-see-] / ˌdaɪ əˈnɪʃ ən, -ˈnɪs i ən, -ˈnaɪ si- /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or honoring Dionysus or Bacchus.

2. recklessly uninhibited; unrestrained; undisciplined; frenzied; orgiastic.

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Dionysian British  

/ ˌdaɪəˈnɪzɪən /

adjective

1. of or relating to Dionysus

2. (sometimes not capital) (in the philosophy of Nietzsche) of or relating to the set of creative qualities that encompasses spontaneity, irrationality, the rejection of discipline, etc

3. (often not capital) wild or orgiastic

4. of or relating to any of the historical characters named Dionysius

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Etymology

Origin of Dionysian

First recorded in 1600–10; Dionys(us) + -ian

Compare meaning

How does dionysian compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Apollonian vs. Dionysian

Example Sentences

“Rock ’N’ Roll,” which he dedicated to Vaclav Havel, explores the rebellious, Dionysian force of popular music, an eternal source of inspiration for him, in a play set partly in Prague during the Communist era.

From Los Angeles Times

We grow up to discover there are names in every culture for that — yin and yang, the Apollonian and Dionysian, Vishnu and Shiva, thesis and antithesis, the law of contraries, the dialectic.

From New York Times

“He was a pillar of the scene here, a beloved and trusted counselor to fellow artists, an amiably enlightening interlocutor with critics and an impish presence who embodied theater’s Dionysian spirit.”

From Los Angeles Times

To stay sane, she releases her pent-up frustration at her gigs, where her furious guitar playing, powerful vocals and introspective songwriting torch the everyday drabness of her life with a Dionysian flame.

From Los Angeles Times

Their presence dramatizes the twin energies upon which all creation, in art and life, relies — the Apollonian and Dionysian, yin and yang, form and essence, thesis and antithesis.

From New York Times