Odyssey

[ od-uh-see ]

/ ˈɒd ə si /

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 forms

Od·ys·se·an, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for 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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST

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|DAILY BEAST
We may almost ask—Are we returned back to the days of the Iliad and the Odyssey?
About London|J. Ewing Ritchie
But no proof of anything p. 21like this force is brought against the antiquity of the Iliad or Odyssey.
The Homeric Hymns|Andrew Lang
His susceptible imagination, vivid and correct, was impregnated by the Odyssey, and warmed with the fire of the Iliad.
The Lives Of The Twelve Caesars, Complete|C. Suetonius Tranquillus
Homer's Odyssey furnishes the subjects for a series of frescoes now being executed in one of the royal palaces at Munich.
The International Monthly, Vol. II, No. I|Various
The Odyssey appears to be the work of one author; but it cannot be affirmed that it is of the same author as the Iliad.
History Of Ancient Civilization|Charles Seignobos

British Dictionary definitions for odyssey

Odyssey

/ (ˈɒdɪsɪ) /

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 Forms

Odyssean (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