epithet
[ ep-uh-thet ]
/ ˈɛp əˌθɛt /
noun
any word or phrase applied to a person or thing to describe an actual or attributed quality: “Richard the Lion-Hearted” is an epithet of Richard I.
a characterizing word or phrase firmly associated with a person or thing and often used in place of an actual name, title, or the like, as “man's best friend” for “dog.”
a word, phrase, or expression used invectively as a term of abuse or contempt, to express hostility, etc.
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Origin of epithet
1570–80; < Latin epitheton epithet, adjective < Greek epítheton epithet, something added, equivalent to epi- epi- + the- (variant stem of tithénai to put) + -ton neuter verbid suffix
SYNONYMS FOR epithet
OTHER WORDS FROM epithet
ep·i·thet·ic, ep·i·thet·i·cal, adjectiveWords nearby epithet
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for epithet
British Dictionary definitions for epithet
epithet
/ (ˈɛpɪˌθɛt) /
noun
a descriptive word or phrase added to or substituted for a person's name"Lackland" is an epithet for King John
Derived forms of epithet
epithetic or epithetical, adjectiveWord Origin for epithet
C16: from Latin epitheton, from Greek, from epitithenai to add, from tithenai to put
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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