Adonis
[ uh-don-is, uh-doh-nis ]
/ əˈdɒn ɪs, əˈdoʊ nɪs /
noun
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.
a very handsome young man.
Origin of Adonis
1615–25
for def 2
Example sentences from the Web for adonis
British Dictionary definitions for adonis
Adonis
/ (əˈdəʊnɪs) /
noun
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
a handsome young man
Word Origin for Adonis
C16: from Latin, via Greek
Adōnis from Phoenician
adōni my lord, a title of the god Tammuz; related to Hebrew
Adonai
Cultural definitions for adonis
Adonis
In classical mythology, an extremely beautiful boy who was loved by Aphrodite, the goddess of love.
notes for Adonis
By extension, an “Adonis” is any handsome young man.