Sometimes Phoenix a mythical bird of great beauty fabled to live 500 or 600 years in the Arabian wilderness, to burn itself on a funeral pyre, and to rise from its ashes in the freshness of youth and live through another cycle of years: often an emblem of immortality or of reborn idealism or hope.
(initial capital letter) a southern constellation between Hydrus and Sculptor.
a person or thing of peerless beauty or excellence; paragon.
a person or thing that has become renewed or restored after suffering calamity or apparent annihilation.
Classical Mythology.
the brother of Cadmus and Europa, and eponymous ancestor of the Phoenicians.
a son of Amyntor and Cleobule who became the foster father of Achilles and who fought with the Greek forces in the Trojan War.
a city in and the capital of Arizona, in the central part.
Military. a 13-foot (4-meter), 989-pound (445-kilogram) U.S. Navy air-to-air missile with radar guidance and a range of over 120 nautical miles.
a legendary Arabian bird said to set fire to itself and rise anew from the ashes every 500 years
a person or thing of surpassing beauty or quality
To “rise like a phoenix from the ashes” is to overcome a seemingly insurmountable setback.
First recorded before 900; from Latin, from Greek phoînix “a mythical bird, purple-red color,” Phoenician, “date palm”; replacing Middle English, Old English fēnix, from Medieval Latin; Latin as above
If you want to see a phoenix, simply locate a unicorn or a centaur, and then you'll be in the right neighborhood. A phoenix is a mythical bird known for rising from its ashes. Don't try that at home! Accordingly to ancient legend, the phoenix is a bird that cyclically burns to death and is reborn from its own ashes. For this reason, the phoenix often serves as a symbol of renewal and rebirth. The name of Phoenix, Arizona is a direct reference to this idea; Phoenix was built upon the ruins of a civilization that had collapsed long before, apparently due to drought.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That crucible reforged Griffin into a political phoenix.
From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026
In 2012, Zheng'an local authorities rolled out an initiative called "return the phoenix to the nest", to encourage skilled migrant workers to return home and start businesses.
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026
Humbled manager Leopold Aschenbrenner, whose surname means ash burner, probably will rise like a phoenix.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
Her outstretched arms on the social media campaign poster are perhaps supposed to make us think of a phoenix rising from the ashes.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
He picked up the holly and phoenix wand and felt a sudden warmth in his fingers, as though wand and hand were rejoicing at their reunion.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
Greene-Placentia told the Phoenix New Times she was "embarrassed" and "just wanted to forget", but felt compelled stand up for other victims.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
It was founded in Phoenix in 2008 by restaurateur Sam Fox and physician Andrew Weil.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
With the heat near Phoenix, the AC runs constantly.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
There are five bedrooms in the main residence, providing more than enough space for Nick, Vanessa, and their three children: Camden, Phoenix, and Brooklyn.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026
Her cell phone never worked well at Yuko’s house in Phoenix, so she gave Zeitoun the landline there.
From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers
You may know about dragons and phoenixes, but have you heard of the tarand, a reindeerlike animal who changes color at will?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026
Ma has won awards with his full body tattoos depicting swashbuckling outlaws and heroes from ancient Chinese literature, mythical creatures like dragons and phoenixes and auspicious symbols such as koi fish.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2019
Yeah definitely, phoenixes are a popular image to get.
From Slate ● Mar. 27, 2018
Judd said women's voices had been "squelched" in the past, but that they were emerging as "phoenixes".
From BBC ● Mar. 4, 2018
He was wearing the plain black cap and robes of his station, but they were made of the finest silk, embroidered all over with phoenixes in black thread.
From "Huntress" by Malinda Lo
Galaxies that appear near bright stars like Beta Phoenicis might be impossible for some observatories on Earth to see, but Euclid’s sharp eyes are able to resolve them.
From New York Times ● May 23, 2024
For example, seven are seen to converge in Lacus Phoenicis, eight in Trivium Charontis, six in Lunae Lacus, and six in Ismenius Lacus.
From The Certainty of a Future Life in Mars by L. P. Gratacap
"No, sir, nor to Phoenicis, either," answered Fancher.
From Rebels of the Red Planet by Charles Louis Fontenay
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.
