any bulbous plant belonging to the genus Narcissus, of the amaryllis family, having showy yellow or white flowers with a cup-shaped corona.
the flower of any of these plants.
(initial capital letter) a youth who fell in love with his own image reflected in a pool and wasted away from unsatisfied desire, whereupon he was transformed into the flower.
What does narcissus mean? A narcissus is a showy, cup- or trumpet-shaped flower that comes in white, yellow, and orange varieties. The name narcissus is also used for any plant in the genus Narcissus. The plural forms of narcissus are narcissuses and narcissi. Common varieties include the daffodil (scientific name Narcissus pseudonarcissus), the jonquil (N. jonquilla), and the paper-white narcissus (N. tazetta). The narcissus is popular for bouquets and gardens. Narcissus is one of the December birth flowers (a flower that’s associated with a particular month in the same way as a birthstone). Example: The narcissus is one of my favorite flowers—I just love its trumpet shape.
“Narcissists” are people completely absorbed in themselves. (See narcissism.)
1540–50; < Latin < Greek nárkissos plant name, traditionally connected, by virtue of plant's narcotic effects, with nárkē numbness, torpor. See narcotic
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Daffodils - or narcissus - have been bred for centuries and there are believed to be around 30,000 varieties in the UK, but only 6% contain pink.
From BBC ● Mar. 5, 2026
That is not true, because, following the myth of narcissus to its end, he is nearing the level of complete self-destruction.
From Salon ● Nov. 7, 2023
Canary yellow narcissus Baby Moon daffodils had started pushing up through the soil.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 31, 2022
If you are prone to botanic speak, you can call a daffodil a narcissus.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 6, 2021
The first story about the creation of the narcissus is told only in an early Homeric Hymn of the seventh or eighth century, the second I have taken from Ovid.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
Experts across the country would then be able to "examine and give us a definitive answer" if those discovered by the public are Narcissus 'Mrs R.O Backhouse'.
From BBC ● Mar. 5, 2026
These new forms of entertainment are becoming the lake to our Narcissus: You can gaze into your phone and see yourself staring back, having all kinds of thrills, spills and chills.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2025
McLuhan likened our contemporary ills to the often misunderstood myth of Narcissus.
From Slate ● Jul. 28, 2025
For her Narcissus catchall, she applied the loose gestures of Chinese brush painting to metal sculpture to encapsulate the object’s qi, or vital energy.
From Seattle Times ● May 28, 2024
The crew compared notes on what had happened in Salt Lake City, but even Leo’s ridiculous story about how he tricked Narcissus wasn’t enough to cheer up the group.
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
Behind the closed gates are newly-planted gardens, which have been filled with Diana's favourite flowers: white roses, scented narcissi and a carpet of forget-me-nots.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2017
Banks of creamy-gold narcissi are out and you can hear birdsong.
From The Guardian ● Mar. 26, 2016
They also have a Newport mansion and an estate at Old Westbury, where Mrs. Loew raises prize narcissi.
From Time Magazine Archive
Carried away by his precept and example, the farmers reduce their planting to what they can eat, turn their animals loose, crowd their fallow land with narcissi, make friends with a stag and his doe.
From Time Magazine Archive
On one farm, however, upwards of 20 acres are devoted to narcissi alone, whilst gladioli, lilies and irises are grown on a smaller scale.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 3 "Frost" to "Fyzabad" by Various
Among the scores of bouquets and sympathetic messages from Britain's great was a modest bunch of irises and narcissuses with a note attached: With best wishes for a speedy recovery.
From Time Magazine Archive
On the walls, upholstered in purple, small mirrors were fixed here and there, and narcissism was further indicated by narcissuses floating in the tub.
From Time Magazine Archive
"Then go and get me some jonquils and narcissuses."
From The Open Question a tale of two temperaments by Robins, Elizabeth
The fields were full of tulips and narcissuses, and the rocks by the roadside were covered with boxwood and lavender.
From James Nasmyth: Engineer; an autobiography by Smiles, Samuel
After a moment she replied, her hands full of forced narcissuses: "Well, that would be a coup for him."
From Lady Rose's Daughter by Ward, Humphry, Mrs.
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.
