nymph
Americannoun
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one of a numerous class of lesser deities of mythology, conceived of as beautiful maidens inhabiting the sea, rivers, woods, trees, mountains, meadows, etc., and frequently mentioned as attending a superior deity.
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a beautiful or graceful young woman.
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a maiden.
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the young of an insect that undergoes incomplete metamorphosis.
noun
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myth a spirit of nature envisaged as a beautiful maiden
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poetic a beautiful young woman
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the immature form of some insects, such as the dragonfly and mayfly, and certain arthropods. Nymphs resemble the adult, apart from having underdeveloped reproductive organs and (in the case of insects) wings, and develop into the adult without a pupal stage
Synonym Usage
See sylph.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of nymph
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English nimphe, from Latin nympha, from Greek nýmphē “bride, nymph”
Explanation
If you're excited to have spotted a nymph, you must take an interest in attractive young women or in bugs. It's really none of my business either way. The word nymph comes straight out of Greek mythology, where it described nature spirits in the form of young women usually found in the woods. When you didn't return to the campsite for so long, I thought you'd either been eaten by a bear or run off with a nymph. What do you mean you ran off with a bear? Or were you just out looking for the insect larva kind of nymphs?
Vocabulary lists containing nymph
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
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Scrabble: Words with no Vowels
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Reading: Literature - Mythology - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Homeowners might also misinterpret the presence of mushrooms, which give cute Woodland Nymph vibes, but can indicate internal tree decay.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026
As of Friday, Shygirl was still set to embark on a European leg of her solo Nymph World Tour beginning in Rotterdam, Netherlands, on Nov. 29.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 20, 2023
Other contenders included soul singer Olivia Dean's debut album "Messy", Irish folk music group Lankum's "False Lankum", Carner's "Hugo" and Shygirl's debut "Nymph".
From Reuters • Sep. 7, 2023
Nymph ticks may also be more likely to transmit Lyme disease.
From Slate • Jun. 29, 2021
"Oh then, nothing at all," answered the Nymph Terzollina beloved by the Magnificent Lorenzo, who had seen the procession of the Three Kings.
From Limbo and Other Essays To which is now added Ariadne in Mantua by Lee, Vernon
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.
