Adonis
Americannoun
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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.
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a very handsome young man.
noun
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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
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a handsome young man
Discover More
By extension, an “Adonis” is any handsome young man.
Etymology
Origin of Adonis
1615–25 Adonis for def. 2
Explanation
An adonis is a very handsome man, especially a young one. You might secretly think of your good-looking neighbor as "a young adonis." You'll most commonly see this word capitalized: Adonis, though if you're using it to mean "handsome guy," it's okay to use a lower-case a. Its origin is the god Adonis, in Greek mythology the eternally youthful god of beauty and desire. When you call someone an adonis, there's an implication that he's a bit vain about his good looks: "He knows he's the adonis of the family."
Vocabulary lists containing adonis
Reading: Literature - Mythology - Middle School
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Ancient Greece: Mythology and Literature - Middle School
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Reading: Literature - Mythology - High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Until the 1990s, that is, when relentless tabloid coverage reinvented him as New York City’s Adonis.
From Salon • Feb. 12, 2026
For now, though, Mr. Skarsgård has embraced the obvious fact that he is an Adonis.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026
The prestigious National Society of Film Critics named Jordan best actor for his portrayal of boxer Adonis Creed in “Creed,” Coogler’s expansion of the “Rocky” franchise.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 21, 2025
Three years later, then transport secretary Lord Adonis promised a portion of a £50m improvement fund.
From BBC • Dec. 18, 2024
“Delicate Adonis is dying, Cytherea, what shall we do? Beat your breasts, maidens, and rend your tunics.”
From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
