Orphic
Americanadjective
-
of or relating to Orpheus or Orphism
-
(sometimes not capital) mystical or occult
Other Word Forms
- Orphically adverb
Etymology
Origin of Orphic
1670–80; < Greek Orphikós (cognate with Latin Orphicus ), equivalent to Orph ( eús ) Orpheus + -ikos -ic
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.
And it’s a clumsy one, attempting in the third act to weave aria pauses into a breakneck pace and an abrupt, Orphic turn.
From New York Times
But the most important thing — an Orphic struggle if ever there was one — was not to look back.
From Washington Post
He knew he wanted to expand on his Orpheus-theme cantata, “The Orphic Moment.”
From New York Times
This immersive, site-specific performance piece inspired by the current Getty Villa exhibition “Underworld: Imagining the Afterlife” is part nocturnal processional and part Orphic mystery rite — so comfy shoes and warm clothing are most definitely recommended.
From Los Angeles Times
Away at school, researching climate change, he assumes an Orphic sense of mission.
From New York Times
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.
