ENGLISH
REFERENCE

goddess

n. countable
B1 Intermediate US //ˈɡɑdəs// UK //ɡˈɒdɛs// god·dess

n. a female god that people worship in some religions. You can also use it to describe a woman who is very beautiful or talented.

n. a female deity or divine being in a polytheistic religion. Often used metaphorically to describe a woman of extraordinary beauty, grace, or influence.


SIMPLE

Athena was the Greek goddess of wisdom.

CONTEXTUAL

Ancient civilizations often built massive temples to honor a specific goddess and ask for her protection.

COMPLEX

The poet describes his muse as a modern goddess, possessing an ethereal beauty that commands the attention of everyone in the room.

Origin

From Middle English goddesse, equivalent to god + -ess, formed about 1350. The figurative meaning is first found in Edmund Spenser's Shepheardes calender (1579). Displaced Old English gyden.

Usage

Commonly followed by 'of' to indicate a specific domain, such as 'goddess of the hunt' or 'goddess of love'.

Idioms4 entries

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