Meaning & use
satyr
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Meanings
nouncountable
In Greek myth, a woodland creature with a man's body and a goat's legs, ears and horns, fond of wine and chasing nymphs.
Grammar: Usually refers to one creature of Greek stories: a satyr played the pipes.
Patterns
- a satyr and a nymph
The vase shows a satyr dancing with a cup of wine.
In the story, a satyr challenges Apollo to a music contest.
The painter gave the satyr small horns and shaggy legs.
nouncountablefigurativeold-fashioneddisapproving
A man who is greedy for sex and cannot control his desires.
Grammar: Figurative and rather old-fashioned: describes a person, usually in an unkind way.
Patterns
- a satyr of a man
The novel's villain is a satyr who preys on young maids.
Critics once dismissed the poet as an aging satyr.
The gossip columns painted him as a satyr.
nouncountablebiologyspecialist
A type of brown butterfly with eyespots on its wings.
Grammar: A specialist name in butterfly writing, sometimes capitalized in species names.
A satyr fluttered along the edge of the woods.
Naturalists photographed a rare satyr near the stream.
The satyr's brown wings blend neatly with fallen leaves.
Word forms
| plural | satyrs |
|---|
Common combinations
- satyr play
- The festival ended with a comic satyr play.
- mythical satyr
- A mythical satyr guards the fountain.
- satyr and nymph
- The fresco shows a satyr and nymph by a pool.
- bearded satyr
- The statue is a bearded satyr with pipes.
- dancing satyr
- The museum owns a bronze of a dancing satyr.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- satyric adjective
- relating to satyrs
- satyriasis noun
- a medical term for excessive sexual desire in men
- satyrical adjective
- like a satyr; an old variant
Commonly confused: satyr or satire?
satyr vs satire
Satire is writing or art that mocks folly; it sounds close to satyr but has a different origin and meaning.
Practice
In Greek myth, which creature is a satyr?
Choose one answer.
A satyr is a woodland being with a goat's legs and horns. The other options describe a mermaid, Pegasus and a Cyclops.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “satyr”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.