Beowulf

American

[bey-uh-woolf] / ˈbeɪ əˌwʊlf /

noun

(italics) an English alliterative epic poem, probably written in the early 8th century a.d.
the hero of this poem.

Beowulf British

/ ˈbeɪəˌwʊlf /

noun

an anonymous Old English epic poem in alliterative verse, believed to have been composed in the 8th century _a.d

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Beowulf Cultural

An epic in Old English, estimated as dating from as early as the eighth century; the earliest long work of literature in English. The critical events are the slaying of the monster Grendel and Grendel's mother by the hero Beowulf and Beowulf's battle with a dragon, in which he is mortally wounded.

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.

The Atlantic story and other accounts of Kennedy make it clear he views himself as the lone hero of a great battle, a Beowulf intending to slay a dragon of dogma and lies.

From Salon • Nov. 29, 2025

“We worked on this today for three hours,” scene tech whiz Beowulf Jones noted as Todd Glass took the sold-out UCB stage with a lounge septet.

From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2024

What do Beowulf, Batman and Barbie all have in common?

From Scientific American • Oct. 30, 2023

The show was nominated for nine Tony Awards, and it won one, for Beowulf Boritt’s scenic design.

From New York Times • Jul. 23, 2023

“We have been making things up,” Beowulf explained.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023