Odyssey
Americannoun
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Odysseys
plural
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(italics) an epic poem attributed to Homer, describing Odysseus's adventures in his ten-year attempt to return home to Ithaca after the Trojan War.
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(often lowercase) a long series of wanderings or adventures, especially when filled with notable experiences, hardships, etc.
noun
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a Greek epic poem, attributed to Homer, describing the ten-year homeward wanderings of Odysseus after the fall of Troy
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(often not capital) any long eventful journey
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How does odyssey compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Ever since Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey told the story of warrior Odysseus’ ten-year journey home from Troy, odyssey has meant any epic journey. As with the word journey, odyssey has both a literal meaning and a figurative one. A cross-country drive in which your car breaks down can be an odyssey, but so can the journey from orientation to finals that is the freshman year of college.
Vocabulary lists containing odyssey
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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.
See Examples For:
Today, of course, the debate has become livelier and more immediate thanks to Christopher Nolan's blockbuster film "The Odyssey".
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
That means it is holding ground against Hollywood blockbusters like The Odyssey and Spider Man: Brand New Day.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
Christopher Nolan's adaptation of "The Odyssey" has not only lured legions of fans to cinemas, but sparked huge interest in the UK in Homer's epic poem and other Greek and Roman mythology works.
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
They also feature together in another film, The Odyssey, but for Spider-Man fans they will be Peter and MJ forever.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
Hesiod, not much later than the Odyssey if at all, says of a man who does evil to the suppliant and the stranger, or who wrongs orphan children, “with that man Zeus is angry.”
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
Odysseys Unlimited has suspended its Israel trips until March 31.
From Reuters ● Oct. 16, 2023
Zoller’s Outdoor Odysseys has navigated adventurous paddlers through whitewater rapids and drops for 50 years, and Wet Planet Whitewater offers rafting and kayaking classes.
From Seattle Times ● May 10, 2023
Our news cycle does not assimilate 1,000-page-plus Odysseys of immersive journalism very well.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 25, 2020
Which meant hiring someone else to do the planning for us, in this case, a Massachusetts-based tour company called Odysseys Unlimited.
From New York Times ● Jul. 25, 2018
In single jacket trances I have lived the many lives involved in the thousand-years-long Odysseys of the early drifts of men.
From The Jacket (Star-Rover) by Jack London
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.
