goddess

American  

[god-is] / ˈgɒd ɪs /

noun

goddesses plural

1. a female god or deity.

2. Also called Triple Goddess.  Goddess. (in Neopaganism) a triune female deity whose individual forms represent the different phases of life and growth.

3. a woman of extraordinary beauty and charm.

4. a greatly admired or adored woman.

   a domestic goddess who hosts lavish dinner parties.

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goddess British  

/ ˈɡɒdɪs /

noun

1. a female divinity

2. a woman who is adored or idealized, esp by a man

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Gender

See -ess .

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• goddesshood
  noun
• goddessship
  noun
• supergoddess
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• goddesses
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

goddess goddesses

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

For similar reasons, “The Odyssey” is very much a star-laden production, including in smaller roles Jon Bernthal as Sparta’s King Menelaus, Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy and Zendaya as the goddess Athena.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 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

In her latest album, “The Boutique,” Zinadelphia is a funky jazz, indie-pop goddess.

From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026

And like the goddess at her birth, they had lightning at their feet.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri

Millennial women, raised on platitudes that one person could change the world, really tried—and some of them, thank the goddesses, succeeded.

From Slate ● Mar. 31, 2026

But not all of the artist’s works have a gourmet bent — she also creates celestial goddesses and nature-inspired divas, and made a series devoted to the Major Arcana of tarot.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 25, 2026

The mythological subject harks back to academic traditions; the three goddesses are as solid as any of Peter Paul Rubens’s ample women.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 20, 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

Loki clambered down from her lap and staggered away, both hands clutching between his legs as he went, glaring in an aggrieved fashion at all the gods and goddesses, who only laughed the louder.

From "Norse Mythology" by Neil Gaiman

Related Words

• divinity
• idol
• immortal