odyssey

noun

od·​ys·​sey ˈä-də-sē How to pronounce odyssey (audio)
plural odysseys
1
: a long wandering or voyage usually marked by many changes of fortune
his odyssey from rural South to urban North, from poverty to affluence, from Afro-American folk culture to a Eurocentric world of booksJ. E. Wideman
2
: an intellectual or spiritual wandering or quest
an odyssey of self-discovery
a spiritual odyssey from disbelief to faith

Did you know?

Odysseus, the hero of Homer's Odyssey, spends 20 years traveling home from the Trojan War. He has astonishing adventures and learns a great deal about himself and the world; he even descends to the underworld to talk to the dead. Thus, an odyssey is any long, complicated journey, often a quest for a goal, and may be a spiritual or psychological journey as well as an actual voyage.

Examples of odyssey in a Sentence

The story is about the emotional odyssey experienced by a teenage girl. the spiritual odyssey of the deeply religious
Recent Examples on the Web
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The journey itself becomes a photographic odyssey, with each turn revealing new vistas of natural splendor. Shelby Knick, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025 Sedona Prince has had a winding journey toward the 2025 WNBA Draft, where she’s expected to finally join the league in April after a seven-year college odyssey. Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025 This winter, Pitino questioned his players’ resilience during a viral, expletive-laden locker-room speech that felt inspired as much by his seven-year coaching odyssey as his team’s 13-point halftime deficit. Andrew Greif, NBC News, 18 Mar. 2025 Splashdown occurred off the coast of the Florida Panhandle, bringing their unplanned odyssey to an end. Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for odyssey

Word History

Etymology

the Odyssey, epic poem attributed to Homer recounting the long wanderings of Odysseus

First Known Use

1886, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of odyssey was in 1886

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Cite this Entry

“Odyssey.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/odyssey. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

odyssey

noun
od·​ys·​sey ˈäd-ə-sē How to pronounce odyssey (audio)
plural odysseys
: a long wandering or series of travels
Etymology

named for the Odyssey, a long poem from ancient Greece telling the story of the 10-year wanderings of Odysseus, a Greek hero and king

More from Merriam-Webster on odyssey

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