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

That's not what we would expect to see in amphibians, whose metamorphosis from tadpoles into adults includes much more dramatic rearranging and development of organs and limbs.

From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026

Alex, a design engineer from Mexico, says her brother's metamorphosis shows how even the most unlikely people can be tempted into making manosphere content, once they realise the money and fame to be made.

From BBC ● May 27, 2026

But for the devout Christian and preternaturally cheerful young actor, the real metamorphosis is psychological.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 25, 2025

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2025

Maria also began looking closely at reptiles and amphibians, whose metamorphosis was little understood.

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

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

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2025

Lyn Slater will be the first to tell you her life has been a series of happy accidents and purposeful metamorphoses.

From New York Times ● Feb. 21, 2024

Physical metamorphoses, of course, have long been part of the actor’s life and feature heavily in award-season narratives — though they’re often hailed as a form of art, not as a how-to manual.

From Washington Post ● Sep. 12, 2022

For these eight women I spoke to over the course of the last five months, pregnancy and childbirth prompted astounding metamorphoses.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 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