orphic

adjective

or·​phic ˈȯr-fik 

1

capitalized : of or relating to Orpheus or the rites or doctrines ascribed to him

2

: mystic, oracular

3

: fascinating, entrancing

orphically

ˈȯr-fi-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Did you know?

Orpheus was a hero of Greek mythology who was supposed to possess superhuman musical skills. With his legendary lyre, he was said to be able to make even the rocks and trees dance around. In fact, when his wife Eurydice died, he was nearly able to use his lyre to secure her return from the underworld. Later on, according to legend, he was killed at the bidding of Dionysus, and an oracle of Orpheus was established that came to rival the oracle of Apollo at Delphi. Because of the oracle of Orpheus, orphic can mean "oracular." Because of Orpheus' musical powers, orphic can also mean "entrancing."

Examples of orphic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Public history does not feel as alluring to him as furtive genealogies of violence, dramatized in obstinate orphic repetition from one book to the next: a woman (a redhead, a divorcée, someone love-hungry and secretive) is resurrected and rescued, only to be lost again. —Parul Sehgal, The New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2023

Their extreme difficulty, combined with an initially limited availability in print, led readers to construe Pound’s mind as the unapproachable source of an orphic craft. —Kathryn Winner, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2023

Readers mystified by any of the author’s orphic lingo will find full explanations in the book’s extensive glossary. —Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, 23 Aug. 2018

As if fearing that too lyrical an approach to such an orphic figure would result in incoherence, Gooch describes this poet’s life in a decidedly unpoetic way. —The Washington Post, The Denver Post, 20 Jan. 2017

Word History

First Known Use

1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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