Adonis

[ uh-don-is, uh-doh-nis ]

noun

1. Classical Mythology. a youth slain by a wild boar but permitted by Zeus to pass four months every year in the lower world with Persephone, four with Aphrodite, and four wherever he chose.
2. a very handsome young man.

Adonis

/ əˈdəʊnɪs /

noun

1. Greek myth a handsome youth loved by Aphrodite. Killed by a wild boar, he was believed to spend part of the year in the underworld and part on earth, symbolizing the vegetative cycle
2. a handsome young man

Adonis

1. In classical mythology , an extremely beautiful boy who was loved by Aphrodite , the goddess of love.

Notes

By extension, an “Adonis” is any handsome young man.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Adonis¹

1615–25 Adonis fordef 2

Word History and Origins

Origin of Adonis¹

C16: from Latin, via Greek Adōnis from Phoenician adōni my lord, a title of the god Tammuz; related to Hebrew Adonai

Example Sentences

His manager, Adonis Smith, had turned to the players in the dugout when Rintaro came to bat and said to admire the moment.

From Los Angeles Times

"Dear Adonis, I'm sorry that that man is your father," he raps in the opening bars.

From BBC

Princess Williams, whose son Adonis often stays for about two hours after dismissal, said the program had made her family’s life much easier.

From Seattle Times

He also starred in the HBO horror series “Lovecraft Country,” which earned him an Emmy nomination, and as the nemesis to fictional boxing champ Adonis Creed in the blockbuster “Creed III.”

From Seattle Times

But while Creed is gone, his character’s son, Michael B. Jordan’s Adonis Creed, would lead his own boxing trilogy starting in 2015.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• vision