Polyphemus

noun

Poly·​phe·​mus ˌpä-lə-ˈfē-məs How to pronounce Polyphemus (audio)
: a Cyclops whom Odysseus blinds in order to escape from his cave

Examples of Polyphemus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Ithaca, located among the Ionian islands of western Greece, acts as Odysseus’s north star, the destination he is prevented from reaching for 10 harrowing years by the machinations of Polyphemus’s vengeful father, Poseidon. — Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 June 2026 But the journey does not go smoothly, as Odysseus and his men encounter the cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens, and an enchantress named Circe, among other obstacles. — ArsTechnica, 5 May 2026 In Homer’s Odyssey, Polyphemus, the Cyclops, is a son of Poseidon, which carries over to the show. — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 11 Dec. 2025 A lot of people are going to think the same thing about Polyphemus. — Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Dec. 2025 The jungle cave lair of the giant cyclops Polyphemus (Aleks Paunovic). — EW.com, 22 July 2025 Taking inspiration from Penelope, Grover stalls for time (and his life) by agreeing to marry the half-blind Polyphemus while figuring out a way to escape. — EW.com, 22 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek Polyphēmos

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Polyphemus was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Polypheme
Polyphemus
polyphemus moth
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Polyphemus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Polyphemus. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on Polyphemus

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Polyphemus

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All