Meaning & use
Achilles
Last updated
Meaning
proper nounproperliterary
In Greek mythology, the greatest Greek warrior of the Trojan War, who was vulnerable only in his heel.
Grammar: A singular proper name; write it with capital An and double l: Achilles, not Achiles.
Patterns
- the story of Achilles
- Achilles in the Iliad
- the wrath of Achilles
In the Iliad, Achilles withdraws from battle in anger.
The tale says Achilles was dipped in the river Styx as a baby.
Common combinations
- Achilles' heel
- The small budget is the project's Achilles' heel.
- Achilles tendon
- The runner tore his Achilles tendon during training.
- the wrath of Achilles
- The poem begins with the wrath of Achilles.
Word family
- Achilles tendon noun
- the tendon at the back of the ankle, named from the myth.
- Achillean adjective
- rare, relating to Achilles or heroism.
Commonly confused: Achilles or Achilles tendon? Achilles or Achiles?
Achilles vs Achilles tendon
Achilles' heel is the figurative weak point; Achilles tendon is the anatomical cord behind the ankle.
Achilles vs Achiles
Achiles is a common misspelling; the standard spelling is Achilles with double l.
Practice
Depending on one overseas supplier is the company's ___.
Choose one answer.
The idiom for a critical weak point is Achilles' heel, capitalized and possessive; the tendon is anatomy, and lowercase achilles is a spelling error.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Achilles”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.