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• ode
  ode

  noun

  a lyric poem typically of elaborate or irregular metrical form and expressive of exalted or enthusiastic emotion.
• -ode
  -ode

  a suffix of nouns, appearing in loanwords from Greek, where it meant “like”; used in the formation of compound words.

ode

¹ American  

[ohd] / oʊd /

noun

• odes
  plural

1. a lyric poem typically of elaborate or irregular metrical form and expressive of exalted or enthusiastic emotion.

2. (originally) a poem intended to be sung.

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-ode ² American  

1. a suffix of nouns, appearing in loanwords from Greek, where it meant “like”; used in the formation of compound words.

   phyllode.

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-ode ³ American  

1. a combining form meaning “way,” “road,” used in the formation of compound words.

   anode; electrode.

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-ode ¹ British  

combining form

1. denoting a path or way

   electrode

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-ode ² British  

combining form

1. denoting resemblance

   nematode

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ode ³ British  

/ əʊd /

noun

1. a lyric poem, typically addressed to a particular subject, with lines of varying lengths and complex rhythms See also Horatian ode Pindaric ode

2. (formerly) a poem meant to be sung

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ode Cultural  

1. A kind of poem devoted to the praise of a person, animal, or thing. An ode is usually written in an elevated style and often expresses deep feeling. An example is “Ode on a Grecian Urn,” by John Keats.

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Usage

What else does ode mean? In literature, an ode is a type of lyrical poem enthusiastically praising a person or event. The slang ode, pronounced [ oh-dee ], is an intensifying adverb meaning "really" or "very."How is ode pronounced?[ ohd ] or [ oh-dee ]What are other forms of ode?odeeWhat are some other words related to ode?

• mad
• hella

What does -ode mean? The combining form -ode is used like a suffix that has two distinct senses. The first of these senses is “like,” and this form of -ode is very occasionally used in a variety of scientific terms, especially in biology. This sense of -ode comes from Greek -ōdēs, roughly meaning “smell.” This suffix in Greek likely comes from words that describe smells and is related to the verb ózein, which means "to smell."The second of these senses is “way” or "road," and this form of -ode is occasionally used in a variety of technical terms, especially in electrical terms. This sense of -ode comes from Greek hodós, meaning "way."

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• odes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of ode¹

1580–90; < Middle French < Late Latin ōda < Greek ōidḗ, contraction of aoidḗ song, derivative of aeídein to sing

Origin of -ode²

< Greek -ōdēs, probably generalized from adjectives describing smells, as kēṓdēs smelling like incense; base ōd- of ózein to smell, give off odor

Origin of -ode³

< Greek -odos, combining form of hodós

Explanation

An ode is a kind of poem, usually praising something. A famous example is John Keats' "Ode on a Grecian Urn." Apparently, Keats was really into urns. An ode is a form of lyric poetry — expressing emotion — and it's usually addressed to someone or something, or it represents the poet's musings on that person or thing, as Keats' ode tells us what he thought as he looked at the Grecian urn. The word ode comes from a Greek word for "song," and like a song, an ode is made up of verses and can have a complex meter.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ode -ode odes

Parton was about six years old when she wrote her first song: Little Tiny Tasseltop, an ode to her favourite doll and its corn-silk hair.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

An ode to the ecstasy of Scrabble: Do you love hearing someone talk about something they’re really passionate about and know very well, in great intimate detail?

From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026

The set, which includes six scents, is an ode to the renowned Route 66, with each fragrance representing different aspects of California culture.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026

The opener, “Rockin’ Shopping Center,” is an ode to sterile suburban hangouts and it’s loaded with early rock ’n’ roll touches—twangy guitars, a strong backbeat and a meaty bassline.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

One day I will write an ode about kissing.

From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon

Note 2.—In the preterit singular, -ade, -ude, and -ede are not infrequent for -ode.

From Anglo-Saxon Grammar and Exercise Book with Inflections, Syntax, Selections for Reading, and Glossary by C. Alphonso (Charles Alphonso) Smith

The weak preterits in -ode have all been leveled under the ed-forms, and of the three hundred strong verbs in Old English more than two hundred have become weak.

From Anglo-Saxon Grammar and Exercise Book with Inflections, Syntax, Selections for Reading, and Glossary by C. Alphonso (Charles Alphonso) Smith

Instead of odes to the old cabin home in the mountains or the little church in the wildwood, Busby sang about the loneliness and alienation of life in the nation’s capital.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

Throughout this show, artists of all nationalities celebrate their homelands’ traditions and cultures, though there is a slightly elegiac air to these odes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 13, 2026

The two songs tenor Ben Jones turned to, “Drift Off to Sleep” and “Answered Prayers,” were moving odes to melancholy.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 3, 2025

Football "cannot be boosted by singing odes or telling stories", he noted.

From BBC ● Mar. 26, 2025

She hadn’t heard of odes or atmospheres before, but as she worked through the pages, these creatures took up residence in her mind.

From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead