Odyssey

[od-uh-see]

See more synonyms for Odyssey on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural Od·ys·seys for 2.

(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.
(often lowercase) a long series of wanderings or adventures, especially when filled with notable experiences, hardships, etc.

Related formsOd·ys·se·an, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for odyssey

trek, expedition, sojourn, quest, exploration, adventure, pilgrimage, excursion, voyage, tour, trip

Examples from the Web for odyssey

Contemporary Examples of odyssey

Dzhugashvili's odyssey through the German camps lasted almost two years.
The Last Days of Stalin's Son During WWII
David Frum
March 4, 2013
The fact that this is all true turns the story from one of intrigue and odyssey into one of anthropological significance as well.
This Week’s Hot Reads, Dec. 31, 2012
Nicholas Mancusi, Jimmy So
December 31, 2012
The Odyssey, Beowulf are poems, yes, but with a practical function.
Only Six Books: Excerpt From Jeanette Winterson’s New Memoir
Jeanette Winterson
March 7, 2012
But how long that lease is good for depends on Odyssey Dawn's success, and to succeed, you need clear goals.
7 More Great Reads on Libya
Josh Dzieza
March 26, 2011
Josh Dzieza on the history of naming military operations, from Barbarossa to Blue Spoon, and what Odyssey Dawn really means.
Why Is the Libya War Called Operation Odyssey Dawn?
Josh Dzieza
March 22, 2011

Historical Examples of odyssey

I called him, and begged he would relate to me the Odyssey of his terrible night.
My Double Life
Sarah Bernhardt
What an Odyssey of adventures he would149 have to relate when he reached home!
Left on the Labrador
Dillon Wallace
The Odyssey is the story of his home-coming, his recovery of his own.
Epic and Romance
W. P. Ker
The greatest scenes of the Iliad and the Odyssey have little to do with myth.
Epic and Romance
W. P. Ker
The Iliad and Odyssey became text-books for the instruction of Greek youth.
Folkways
William Graham Sumner

British Dictionary definitions for odyssey

Odyssey

noun

a Greek epic poem, attributed to Homer, describing the ten-year homeward wanderings of Odysseus after the fall of Troy
(often not capital) any long eventful journey

Derived FormsOdyssean (ˌɒdɪˈsiːən), adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for odyssey

c.1600, "Odyssey," from Latin Odyssea, from Greek Odysseia, name of the Homeric epic poem of ancient Greece, relating the ten-year wanderings of Odysseus, king of Ithaca, after the Trojan War. Figurative sense of "long, adventurous journey" is first recorded 1889.