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Stygian

[ stij-ee-uhn ]
/ ˈstɪdʒ i ən /
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adjective
of or relating to the river Styx or to Hades.
dark or gloomy.
infernal; hellish.
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Also styg·i·an (for defs. 2, 3) .

Origin of Stygian

1560–70; <Latin Stygi(us) <Greek Stýgios (Styg-, stem of StýxStyx + -ios adj. suffix) + -an

OTHER WORDS FROM Stygian

trans-Styg·i·an, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Stygian in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for Stygian

Stygian
/ (ˈstɪdʒɪən) /

adjective
of or relating to the river Styx
mainly literary
  1. dark, gloomy, or hellish
  2. completely inviolable, as a vow sworn by the river Styx

Word Origin for Stygian

C16: from Latin Stygius, from Greek Stugios, from Stux Styx; related to stugein to hate
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
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