Odysseus

American  

[oh-dis-ee-uhs, oh-dis-yoos] / oʊˈdɪs i əs, oʊˈdɪs jus /

noun

Classical Mythology.

1. king of Ithaca; son of Laertes; one of the heroes of the Iliad and protagonist of the Odyssey: shrewdest of the Greek leaders in the Trojan War.

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Odysseus British  

/ əˈdiːsɪəs /

noun

1. Roman name: Ulysses.  Greek myth one of the foremost of the Greek heroes at the siege of Troy, noted for his courage and ingenuity. His return to his kingdom of Ithaca was fraught with adventures in which he lost all his companions and he was acknowledged by his wife Penelope only after killing her suitors

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Odysseus Cultural  

1. A Greek hero in the Trojan War (see also Trojan War). Odysseus helped bring about the fall of Troy by conceiving the ruse of the Trojan horse. After Troy was ruined, Odysseus wandered for ten years trying to return home, having many adventures along the way. (See Circe, Cyclops, Penelope, Scylla and Charybdis, and Sirens.)

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The story of Odysseus' journey home is told in the Odyssey of Homer. By extension, an “odyssey” is any long or difficult journey or transformation.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Odysseus

For months, the longship's crew of seasoned sailors rubbed shoulders with Hollywood star Matt Damon, who plays Odysseus on-screen, and a host of professional actors.

From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026

The waters between Turkey and Greece are dotted with endless tiny islands, as Odysseus learned the hard way, many of them reachable by rowboat.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

Medea must be angry, Spider-Man must be helpful and Odysseus, dang it, must have swagger.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

As Homer tells us, Odysseus made an epic journey, against the odds, from Troy to his home in Ithaca.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026

Odysseus and the two chieftains chosen to accompany him found the hero with his friend Patroclus, who of all men on earth was dearest to him.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton