Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

Tartarus

American  
[tahr-ter-uhs] / ˈtɑr tər əs /

noun

Classical Mythology.
  1. a sunless abyss, below Hades, in which Zeus imprisoned the Titans.

  2. a place in Hades for the punishment of the wicked.


Tartarus British  
/ ˈtɑːtərəs /

noun

  1. an abyss under Hades where the Titans were imprisoned

  2. a part of Hades reserved for evildoers

  3. the underworld; Hades

  4. a primordial god who became the father of the monster Typhon

"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

Etymology

Origin of Tartarus

C16: from Latin, from Greek Tartaros, of obscure origin


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.

See Examples For:

Exoplanet hunters have caught sight of a multitude of Earth- and Venus-size worlds far from our galactic backwater, each of them an Elysium or a Tartarus.

From Scientific American ● Jun. 2, 2021

Wormwood, edited by Mark Valentine and published by Tartarus Press, is devoted to “Literature of the fantastic, supernatural and decadent.”

From Washington Post ● Feb. 20, 2018

Russell and Rosalie Parker are not only the proprietors of England’s much-admired Tartarus Press, but also accomplished practitioners of the eerie tale.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 19, 2016

The rounded mountains, quite different from those we know on Earth, are named Tartarus Dorsa.

From Textbooks ● Oct. 13, 2016

Judging from his pained expression, Percy decided he didn’t want to be in that elevator if the car stalled between Tartarus and the mortal world.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember new words for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com