goddess

American  

[god-is] / ˈgɒd ɪs /

noun

• goddesses
  plural

1. a female god or deity.

2. Also called Triple Goddess. Goddess. (in Neopaganism) a triune female deity whose individual forms represent the different phases of life and growth.

3. a woman of extraordinary beauty and charm.

4. a greatly admired or adored woman.

   a domestic goddess who hosts lavish dinner parties.

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goddess British  

/ ˈɡɒdɪs /

noun

1. a female divinity

2. a woman who is adored or idealized, esp by a man

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Gender

See -ess .

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• goddesshood
  noun
• goddessship
  noun
• supergoddess
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• goddesses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of goddess

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English; see origin at god , -ess

Explanation

In mythology, a goddess is a female god. Aphrodite, for example, is the Greek goddess of love and beauty. Many religions have female deities or goddesses, including the ancient Romans and Greeks, traditional African religions, and Hinduism. Some well-known goddesses include Juno, Gaia, and Lakshmi. If you know a woman who seems as beautiful, powerful, or amazing as a god, you can also call her a goddess. Using the word for mortals first came into fashion in the late 16th century.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

goddess goddesses

The largest sportswear brand on the planet, named after the ancient Greek goddess of victory, has been losing of late.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

Another key trend identified by Kotsoni's team is the idea of the modern goddess - a take on the styles of Ancient Greece and a nod to Christopher Nolan's hit film The Odyssey this summer.

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

Cats have at least been associated with women and mysticism since ancient Egypt and the goddess Bast, often portrayed as a women’s body with the head of a feline.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

I arrived at Longshan Temple, in the old part of western Taipei, on a Saturday, unaware that it was the anniversary of the enlightenment of Guanyin, the Buddhist goddess of mercy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026

The goddess was already shuffling into the gloom.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

“Classical Body,” which pairs Attic vases and flasks with a series of fluted Grecian gowns elevated above—super-model goddesses in pale gold—sets the aspirational yet unforgiving female physical ideal.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 9, 2026

But not all of the artist’s works have a gourmet bent — she also creates celestial goddesses and nature-inspired divas, and made a series devoted to the Major Arcana of tarot.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 25, 2026

Go the Capitol rotunda and look up at the dome, where Constantino Brumidi’s fresco The Apotheosis of Washington, painted during the Civil War, shows Washington in heaven, flanked by goddesses.

From Slate ● Feb. 16, 2026

It treats its female protagonists like full human beings instead of objects, or girlbossed-beyond-personhood goddesses, or a pile of tropes that AI would compile.

From Salon ● Jun. 28, 2025

The goddesses stayed home for shame; but these munificences ranged there in the doorway, and irrepressible among them all arose the laughter of the happy gods.

From "The Odyssey" by Homer

Related Words

• divinity
• idol
• immortal