Ulysses

American  

[yoo-lis-eez] / yuˈlɪs iz /

noun

1. Classical Mythology. Latin name for Odysseus.

2. (italics) a psychological novel (1922) by James Joyce.

3. a male given name.

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Ulysses British  

/ ˈjuːlɪˌsiːz, juːˈlɪsiːz /

noun

1. the Latin name of Odysseus

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Ulysses Cultural  

1. The Roman name of the Greek hero Odysseus.

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The Irish author James Joyce adopted the name for the title of his masterpiece of the early twentieth century, which is, in part, a retelling of the myth of Odysseus.

In the Aeneid of Virgil, which was written in Latin, Odysseus is called Ulysses.

Example Sentences

“In 1867, Charles Dickens came over to Boston and that’s when he read his ‘Christmas Carol’ for the first time in America,” spurring President Ulysses S. Grant to declare Christmas a federal holiday, Belanger said.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 25, 2025

In 1876 President Ulysses S. Grant ordered the Army to subjugate the traditionals.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 2025

Data from the Ulysses spacecraft showed that the fast solar wind originates mainly from vast coronal holes near the poles.

From Science Daily • Oct. 14, 2025

On the postcard promoting the show, he quoted James Joyce’s Ulysses, “History is the Nightmare from which I am trying to Awaken.”

From Slate • Jun. 6, 2025

Mr. Tickham called out, “Are you done vacuuming? What about the Ulysses? Are you just going to leave it sitting there?”

From "Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures" by Kate DiCamillo