metamorphosis

American  

[met-uh-mawr-fuh-sis] / ˌmɛt əˈmɔr fə sɪs /

noun

metamorphoses plural

1. Biology. a profound change in form from one stage to the next in the life history of an organism, as from the caterpillar to the pupa and from the pupa to the adult butterfly.

   Antonyms:

   stasis

2. a complete change of form, structure, or substance, as transformation by magic or witchcraft.

   Synonyms:

   transmutation, mutation

   Antonyms:

   stasis

3. any complete change in appearance, character, circumstances, etc.

4. a form resulting from any such change.

5. Pathology.

   1. a type of alteration or degeneration in which tissues are changed.

      fatty metamorphosis of the liver.

   2. the resultant form.

6. Botany. the structural or functional modification of a plant organ or structure during its development.

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metamorphosis British  

/ ˌmɛtəˈmɔːfəsɪs /

noun

1. a complete change of physical form or substance

2. a complete change of character, appearance, etc

3. a person or thing that has undergone metamorphosis

4. zoology the rapid transformation of a larva into an adult that occurs in certain animals, for example the stage between tadpole and frog or between chrysalis and butterfly

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metamorphosis Scientific  

/ mĕt′ə-môr′fə-sĭs /

1. Dramatic change in the form and often the habits of an animal during its development after birth or hatching. The transformation of a maggot into an adult fly and of a tadpole into an adult frog are examples of metamorphosis. The young of such animals are called larvae.

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metamorphosis Cultural  

1. A change in an animal as it grows, particularly a radical change, such as the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonmetamorphosis
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• metamorphoses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of metamorphosis

First recorded in 1525–35; from New Latin metamorphōsis, from Greek metamórphōsis “transformation”; equivalent to meta- + -morph + -osis

Explanation

In Kafka's novel entitled Metamorphosis, a man wakes up to find he has turned into a cockroach. That kind of complete and startling change pretty much sums up the word. When a caterpillar becomes a butterfly, it goes through a metamorphosis. An idea can undergo metamorphosis, or metamorphosize, too as can feelings. After you spend a full summer with your grandmother, your feelings about the woman may undergo a complete metamorphosis. While you were once afraid of the old woman, you now love her dearly.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

metamorphosis metamorphoses

Scientists have long posited the earliest water animals to transition to land had amphibious tadpole features, going through a metamorphosis akin to that of today's frogs.

From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026

One cites her newfound sobriety as evidence that people can change — a nod to Steyer’s self-proclaimed metamorphosis from hedge fund titan to scourge of big corporations.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2026

“Adventure, risk, transformation,” she exults, forever on the lookout for her next metamorphosis.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2025

The metamorphosis has been accelerated by the hard graft demanded by fitness trainer Matt Little and physio Shane Annun - who were core pillars of Andy Murray's team before joining Draper earlier this year.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2025

As she put it on, Desdemona felt as though she were spinning her own cocoon, awaiting metamorphosis.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

"Just like butterflies, corals also undergo different metamorphoses and stages."

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2025

Notably, music emerges as the most honest vehicle for them to bond over, and as the cinematic element that most closely parallels Freddie’s metamorphoses.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 1, 2022

The production is full of unpredictable developments and arresting metamorphoses.

From New York Times ● Aug. 25, 2022

There are some metamorphoses you simply do not sign up to look in on.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 7, 2022

Fellow “garden-lovers” and even some distinguished natural philosophers welcomed the work of this “ingenious woman,” for many of these metamorphoses had never been observed before.

From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman

Related Words

• evolution
• rebirth