Meaning & use
Dionysus
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Meaning
proper nounproperreligion
In Greek mythology, the god of wine, fertility, and wild celebration.
Grammar: Capitalized because it is a name; it does not take 'the' or a plural.
Patterns
- the god Dionysus
- a festival of Dionysus
The ancient Greeks held festivals in honor of Dionysus every spring.
In the play, the women leave the city to worship Dionysus in the mountains.
Dionysus is often shown holding a cup of wine and a staff covered in ivy.
Common combinations
- the cult of Dionysus
- The cult of Dionysus spread across the Greek world.
- a follower of Dionysus
- As a follower of Dionysus, she danced all night at the feast.
- the festival of Dionysus
- At the festival of Dionysus, the whole city drank and sang.
Synonyms and how they differ
- Bacchus
- The Roman name for the same god; use it when you are talking about Roman mythology rather than Greek.
Word family
- Dionysian adjective
- Relating to Dionysus or to wild, uncontrolled emotion.
Commonly confused: Dionysus or Dionysius?
Dionysus vs Dionysius
A different name: Dionysius was a Greek historian and a saint, not the god of wine.
Practice
In Greek mythology, who was Dionysus?
Choose one answer.
Dionysus is the god of wine and ecstatic celebration. The sea god is Poseidon, war is Ares, and the underworld is Hades.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Dionysus”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.