Phaedra

American  

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

noun

Classical Mythology.

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

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Phaedra British  

/ ˈfiːdrə /

noun

1. 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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Phaedra

Erika Jayne of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” who flew in from Australia to make the event, Atlanta’s Phaedra Parks and New Jersey’s Melissa Gorga also spoke.

From Salon ● Mar. 19, 2026

“When Phaedra asked Kate to become a traitor, she was in this dungeon. It was a discovery we didn’t realize was underground. We’d walked over it for a whole year.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2025

Director Stone has previously helmed films such as The Dig and The Daughter, while his extensive theatre credits include productions of Yerma, Phaedra, Medea and Angels in America.

From BBC ● May 7, 2025

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

From New York Times ● Feb. 22, 2023

As for Phaedra, her stepson Hippolytus took no notice of her; he never noticed women.

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