Lord of the Flies

American  

noun

1. a novel (1954) by William Golding.

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Lord of the Flies British  

noun

1. a name for Beelzebub

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Lord of the Flies Cultural  

1. (1954) A dark, allegorical novel by the British writer William Golding about a group of boys stranded on a desert island. Despite their attempts to establish a civilized democratic society, the boys eventually revert to totalitarianism and primitive savagery. Golding won the 1983 Nobel Prize for literature.

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Etymology

Origin of Lord of the Flies

translation of Hebrew: see _Beelzebub

Example Sentences

He hopes that Lord of the Flies offers the same experience and helps young people watching navigate their way through "the most difficult period of life".

From BBC • Feb. 2, 2026

And with his new series, Thorne hopes to develop our understanding of the boys' behaviour in Lord of the Flies, showing their cruelty as well as their fragility.

From BBC • Feb. 2, 2026

People sign up for the cards to avoid the Lord of the Flies feeling of clawing through an airport.

From Slate • Jul. 3, 2025

“Even in going into ‘Boys State,’ people said, ‘It’s going to be Lord of the Flies.’

From Seattle Times • Apr. 3, 2024

I’m on my couch, still mired in Lord of the Flies.

From "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon