satyr

American  

[sey-ter, sat-er] / ˈseɪ tər, ˈsæt ər /

noun

1. Classical Mythology. one of a class of woodland deities, attendant on Bacchus, represented as part human, part horse, and sometimes part goat and noted for riotousness and lasciviousness.

2. a lascivious man; lecher.

3. a man who has satyriasis.

4. Also called satyr butterfly.  Also satyrid any of several butterflies of the family Satyridae, having gray or brown wings marked with eyespots.

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satyr British  

/ ˈsætə, səˈtɪrɪk /

noun

1. Greek myth one of a class of sylvan deities, represented as goatlike men who drank and danced in the train of Dionysus and chased the nymphs

2. a man who has strong sexual desires

3. a man who has satyriasis

4. any of various butterflies of the genus Satyrus and related genera, having dark wings often marked with eyespots: family Satyridae

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satyr Cultural  

1. A creature in classical mythology who was part man and part goat. Satyrs were famous for being constantly drunk and for chasing nymphs. They were companions of Dionysus.

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Discover More

By extension, a “satyr” is a lecherous male.

Other Word Forms

• satyr-like
  adjective
• satyric
  adjective
• satyrical
  adjective
• satyrlike
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of satyr

1325–75; Middle English < Latin satyrus < Greek sátyros

Explanation

In classical mythology, satyrs were companions to Pan, a fertility god, and Dionysus, the god of wine and ecstasy. As you might guess, satyrs were not known for their mild-mannered ways: Like their patrons, they were excessively fond of women, drink, and song. In Greek art, the satyr was depicted as a man with the ears and tail of a horse. Roman artists emphasized this creature's relationship to the goat-god Pan by giving the satyr a goat's ears, horns, and haunches. In both cases, the satyr's animal aspect symbolized his immoderate appetites. This noun can also be used metaphorically for a man whose sexual desire is stronger than his sense of decency.

Example Sentences

The name Satyrex combines Satyr, a half-human, half-beast figure from Greek mythology known for exaggerated anatomy, with the Latin word rēx, meaning "king."

From Science Daily • Apr. 6, 2026

Ph.D. candidates in informatics have worked on a computer program that allows this museum’s visitors to try to reconstruct Praxiteles’ statue of the Resting Satyr, now armless and legless.

From New York Times • Mar. 15, 2017

The Dancing Satyr, a fourth century bronze discovered off the coast of Sicily by fishermen in 1998.

From The Guardian • Dec. 18, 2012

Something of a Satyr himself, Author Douglas has long contemplated the absurdities of man and man-made gods.

From Time Magazine Archive

Dumb to my words and to my pity deaf, The Satyr, motionless, was vaguely blanched By the wan glimmer of the dying day.

From Mathieu Ropars: et cetera by Young, William