goddess
Americannoun
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goddesses
plural
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a female god or deity.
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Also called Triple Goddess. Goddess. (in Neopaganism) a triune female deity whose individual forms represent the different phases of life and growth.
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a woman of extraordinary beauty and charm.
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a greatly admired or adored woman.
a domestic goddess who hosts lavish dinner parties.
noun
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a female divinity
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a woman who is adored or idealized, esp by a man
Gender
See -ess .
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of goddess
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English; see origin at god , -ess
Explanation
In mythology, a goddess is a female god. Aphrodite, for example, is the Greek goddess of love and beauty. Many religions have female deities or goddesses, including the ancient Romans and Greeks, traditional African religions, and Hinduism. Some well-known goddesses include Juno, Gaia, and Lakshmi. If you know a woman who seems as beautiful, powerful, or amazing as a god, you can also call her a goddess. Using the word for mortals first came into fashion in the late 16th century.
Vocabulary lists containing goddess
World Religions
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Reading: Literature - Mythology - Introductory
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Reading: Literature - Mythology - Middle School
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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.
See Examples For:
Still, costume designers Arianne Phillips and Monica Chamberlain make Wilde look like a formidable love goddess.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
The future of the imperial household -- mythically descended from the Shinto sun goddess Amaterasu -- depends currently on Prince Hisahito, the 19-year-old nephew of Emperor Naruhito, 66.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
"You can call a goddess on one of these phones when you really need help," she said.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
Among the most extraordinary examples is the "Amaterasu particle," which was detected by the Telescope Array in Utah in 2021 and named for the sun goddess in Japanese mythology.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 9, 2026
“There are the four seasons,” she showed the twins as they walked, “and the four elements, and the four winds. There is the goddess Isis and the Roman god of the sea, Neptune.”
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
“Classical Body,” which pairs Attic vases and flasks with a series of fluted Grecian gowns elevated above—super-model goddesses in pale gold—sets the aspirational yet unforgiving female physical ideal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 9, 2026
We can all practice speaking to persuade, not degrade, listening with an open heart and a curious mind, and remembering that we are not gods or goddesses.
From Slate ● Jan. 2, 2026
On television it was, therefore, an age of mothers — wise domestic goddesses whose energies were turned largely toward the raising of children.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2025
It treats its female protagonists like full human beings instead of objects, or girlbossed-beyond-personhood goddesses, or a pile of tropes that AI would compile.
From Salon ● Jun. 28, 2025
In a glass case right in front of him was a row of Chinese goddesses, carved in ivory.
From "The Cricket in Times Square" by George Selden
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.
