Thanatos

[ than-uh-tos, -tohs ]

/ ˈθæn əˌtɒs, -toʊs /

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noun

an ancient Greek personification of death.

Psychoanalysis.(usually lowercase) the death instinct, especially as expressed in violent aggression.

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OTHER WORDS FROM Thanatos

Than·a·tot·ic

[than-uh-tot-ik], /ˌθæn əˈtɒt ɪk/, adjective

Words nearby Thanatos

thanage, thanato-, thanatology, thanatophobia, thanatopsis, Thanatos, thane, thaneship, Thanet, thang, thangka

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Thanatos in a sentence

The Greeks had imagined Thanatos 14 as a winged genius; that was correct.
Hania|Henryk Sienkiewicz
A lake of yellow smoke formed in the pocket behind the hill where lay the redoubt in which "Thanatos" was snoring.
The Man Who Rocked the Earth|Arthur Train
At noon she awoke, crying aloud that the Red Mouse claimed her soul from Thanatos.
Folle-Farine|Ouida
There it stands while we debate; as Thanatos and Heracles fought over the veiled queen.
Fields of Victory|Mrs. Humphry Ward

He told me he had heard his master, two hours before, saddle Thanatos, and ride away.
The Flight of the Shadow|George MacDonald

British Dictionary definitions for Thanatos

Thanatos

/ (ˈθænəˌtɒs) /

noun

the Greek personification of death: son of Nyx, goddess of nightRoman counterpart: Mors

the name chosen by Freud to represent a universal death instinctCompare Eros (def. 2)

Derived forms of Thanatos

Thanatotic (ˌθænəˈtɒtɪk), adjective

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