Dionysian

[ dahy-uh-nish-uhn, -nis-ee-uhn, -nahy-see- ]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or honoring Dionysus or Bacchus.
2. recklessly uninhibited; unrestrained; undisciplined; frenzied; orgiastic.

Dionysian

/ ˌdaɪəˈnɪzɪən /

adjective

1. of or relating to Dionysus
2. sometimes not capital (in the philosophy of Nietzsche) of or relating to the set of creative qualities that encompasses spontaneity, irrationality, the rejection of discipline, etc
3. often not capital wild or orgiastic
4. of or relating to any of the historical characters named Dionysius

Word History and Origins

Origin of Dionysian¹

First recorded in 1600–10; Dionys(us) + -ian

Example Sentences

We grow up to discover there are names in every culture for that — yin and yang, the Apollonian and Dionysian, Vishnu and Shiva, thesis and antithesis, the law of contraries, the dialectic.

From New York Times

“He was a pillar of the scene here, a beloved and trusted counselor to fellow artists, an amiably enlightening interlocutor with critics and an impish presence who embodied theater’s Dionysian spirit.”

From Los Angeles Times

To stay sane, she releases her pent-up frustration at her gigs, where her furious guitar playing, powerful vocals and introspective songwriting torch the everyday drabness of her life with a Dionysian flame.

From Los Angeles Times

Their presence dramatizes the twin energies upon which all creation, in art and life, relies — the Apollonian and Dionysian, yin and yang, form and essence, thesis and antithesis.

From New York Times

He wanted to marry a sense of voluptuous sensuality with order and elegance — the Dionysian with the Apollonian.

From Washington Post