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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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

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

“There’s nobody who’s happy in all things,” according to Nicostratus, paraphrasing Euripides.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026

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

From Salon ● Apr. 13, 2025

Even Aristotle, who could be said to have launched literary criticism, set forth the precepts of tragedy by empirically studying the indelible examples of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 4, 2024

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

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