Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • A mythical Greek hero: In Greek mythology, Achilles is a central figure and the greatest warrior of the Greek army during the Trojan War, as recounted in Homer's epic poem, the Iliad.
   • The subject of a famous myth: He is famously known for his near-invulnerability, having been dipped in the River Styx by his mother, Thetis, which made him invulnerable except for the heel by which she held him. This single point of weakness led to his death and is the origin of the term "Achilles' heel."

Examples of Usage

• Proper noun:
  • In Homer's Iliad, the wrath of Achilles is a major theme.
  • Achilles is often depicted as the archetype of the heroic but flawed warrior.
  • The story of Achilles highlights the Greek concepts of heroism, fate, and mortality.

Advanced Usage

• "Achilles' heel": A metaphor for a fatal weakness or vulnerable spot in spite of overall strength.
  • His pride was his Achilles' heel, leading to his downfall.
• "Achilles tendon": The strong tendon at the back of the human ankle, named by analogy to the hero's vulnerable spot.
  • The runner had to withdraw from the race due to a strained Achilles tendon.

Variants and Related Words

• Achillean (adj): Pertaining to or characteristic of Achilles.
  • The poem describes his Achillean rage.

Synonyms

• Hero (in the specific context of Greek myth).
• Warrior.

Related Phrases

• "Heel of Achilles": An alternative, less common phrasing for "Achilles' heel," meaning a critical weakness.
  • The lack of a clear strategy was the project's heel of Achilles.

Related Idioms

• "Achilles' heel": As described in Advanced Usage, this is the primary idiom derived from the name.
  • For all his intelligence, his inability to delegate was his Achilles' heel.

Noun

1. a mythical Greek hero of the Iliad; a foremost Greek warrior at the siege of Troy; when he was a baby his mother tried to make him immortal by bathing him in a magical river but the heel by which she held him remained vulnerable--his `Achilles' heel'