Odyssey
Americannoun
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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:
Director Christopher Nolan wants people to watch The Odyssey on the biggest screen possible - but two million people reportedly viewed a social media post containing a leaked copy of his film this weekend.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Spotify reported a surge interest in audiobook translations of "The Odyssey": searches skyrocketed by 310 percent, with Gen Z and millennials leading the demand.
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026
LeBron James has ended his free agent Odyssey by joining three All-Stars and a rising star in Philly.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
“Before this year ends, Grok Imagine will make a full-length movie of The Odyssey that is historically accurate and true to the art of Homer,” he said.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
She put aside the thriller and the book about Alexander the Great, hesitated—and picked up the Odyssey.
From "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke
Odysseys Unlimited has suspended its Israel trips until March 31.
From Reuters ● Oct. 16, 2023
“We are very proud of Mount Adams down here,” said Mark Zoller, owner of Zoller’s Outdoor Odysseys, which runs rafts on the White Salmon River.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 13, 2023
Our news cycle does not assimilate 1,000-page-plus Odysseys of immersive journalism very well.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 25, 2020
Yet the New York City resident has done precisely that with her new venture, Personalized Odysseys.
From New York Times ● Apr. 11, 2014
Homer's Iliads and Odysseys, London 1675, and 1677 in 12mo; to which is prefixed a Preface concerning Heroic Poetry.
From The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland (1753) Volume II by Cibber, Theophilus
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.
