Ulysses
Americannoun
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Classical Mythology. Latin name for Odysseus.
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(italics) a psychological novel (1922) by James Joyce.
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a male given name.
noun
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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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Pope, in his formal way, presents his Ulysses as a man “for wisdom’s various arts renown’d / Long exercised in woes.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
Historians point to the period after the Civil War, when officials in the treasury department under President Ulysses Grant were involved in scandals around gold sales and customs collection, among other controversies.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
When President Ulysses S. Grant sent the Declaration of Independence to Philadelphia to be displayed, the public was appalled by its condition, which led the government to establish the National Archives.
From Salon ● Jun. 30, 2026
As he starts to pull at the thread, Ulysses finds himself up against not just the entire community but — improbably, given the setting — the yakuza.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 15, 2026
“I’m sure whoever checked out Flora and Ulysses is enjoying it immensely,” said Sierra Russell.
From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
