Euripides

American  

[yoo-rip-i-deez, yuh-] / jʊˈrɪp ɪˌdiz, jə- /

noun

1. c480–406? b.c., Greek dramatist.

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Euripides British  

/ jʊˈrɪpɪˌdiːz /

noun

1. ?480–406 _bc , Greek tragic dramatist. His plays, 18 of which are extant, include Alcestis, Medea, Hippolytus, Hecuba, Trojan Women, Electra, Iphigeneia in Tauris, Iphigeneia in Aulis, and Bacchae

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Euripides Cultural  

1. An ancient Greek dramatist. He was the author of numerous tragedies, including the Bacchae, Medea, and The Trojan Women. He often used the device of deus ex machina (literally, “a god from the machine”) to resolve his plots.

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Discover More

Today, a “deus ex machina” refers to any person or event that provides a sudden, unexpected solution to a problem or situation.

Other Word Forms

• Euripidean
  adjective

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Euripides

A professor of classical studies at the University of Pennsylvania, Wilson has also translated Seneca and Euripides, as well as Homer’s “Iliad.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

Awosanmi also served as the stage director for "Medaaye", an African adaptation of the Greek tragedy "Medea" by Euripides.

From Barron's ● Jun. 26, 2026

The matricide trial of Orestes, portrayed as a shining moment for Athens by Aeschylus in “The Oresteia,” becomes a nihilistic farce in the hands of Euripides.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 6, 2026

Plays by Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides illuminated how pride, injustice and failed leadership could threaten a community.

From Salon ● Apr. 13, 2025

It was Euripides, this Greek writer from the fifth century BC.

From "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie