Phaedra

American

[fee-druh, fed-ruh] / ˈfi drə, ˈfɛd rə /

noun

Classical Mythology.

the wife of Theseus who fell in love with Hippolytus, her stepson, and eventually hanged herself after causing his death.

Phaedra British

/ ˈfiːdrə /

noun

Greek myth the wife of Theseus, who falsely accused her stepson Hippolytus of raping her and then hanged herself because he spurned her amorous advances

"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

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.

In retrospect, Phaedra may not have been cold.

From Salon • Feb. 28, 2026

In the role of Scandalized Reality TV Star — last held by Season 32’s Ariana Madix — is Phaedra Parks, who recently rejoined “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” after a six-year hiatus.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 4, 2024

Also on the dancefloor will be Oscar nominee Eric Roberts and Real Housewives of Atlanta star Phaedra Parks.

From BBC • Sep. 4, 2024

McTeer plays Helen, an anxious modern-day politician undone by love, as Phaedra was before her.

From New York Times • Feb. 22, 2023

In the later years of his life Theseus married Ariadne’s sister Phaedra, and thereby drew down terrible misfortunes on her and on himself and on his son Hippolytus, the son the Amazon had borne him.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023