Definition

Noun 1. (Greek Mythology) A Great Musician: Orpheus is a legendary figure from Greek mythology, renowned as a supremely gifted poet and musician whose music could charm all living things, animals, trees, and even stones. 2. Central Figure of a Myth: He is the protagonist of a famous myth concerning his attempt to retrieve his wife, Eurydice, from the underworld (Hades) using the power of his music, an attempt that ultimately ended in failure.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The myth of Orpheus and Eurydice is a tragic story of love and loss.
  • According to legend, Orpheus could make rivers stop flowing with the beauty of his lyre playing.

Advanced Usage

• "Orphean" (Adjective): Pertaining to Orpheus or his music; having the enchanting, magical quality of Orpheus's art.
  • The singer possessed an Orphean voice that held the entire audience spellbound.
• "Orphic" (Adjective): Relating to Orpheus or the mystical religious movements (Orphism) associated with his teachings, often implying something mysterious, entrancing, or oracular.
  • The poet's Orphic verses were difficult to interpret but deeply moving.

Variants and Related Words

• Orphean (adj): Of or like Orpheus; melodious and enchanting.
• Orphic (adj): 1. Relating to Orpheus. 2. Often used to describe something mystical, fascinating, or oracular.
• Orphism (n): A set of religious beliefs and practices in the ancient Greek world, based on poems attributed to Orpheus.

Synonyms

• Enchanter (in the context of one who charms through music/art)
• Musician
• Poet

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "To descend like Orpheus": A literary allusion meaning to bravely enter a dangerous or hellish place in a desperate attempt to rescue someone or something precious.
  • The journalist descended like Orpheus into the war zone to find his missing colleague.
• "An Orphean task": A nearly impossible endeavor that requires supreme skill or art to accomplish, especially one involving retrieval from a lost state.
  • Restoring the ruined fresco was an Orphean task for the conservators.

Noun

1. (Greek mythology) a great musician; when his wife Eurydice died he went to Hades to get her back but failed