god

/gɑd/

/gɒd/

Other forms: gods

A god is a supreme being or deity, and it's spelled with a lowercase g when you're not referring to the God of Christian, Jewish, or Muslim tradition. The ancient Greeks had many gods — including Zeus, Apollo, and Poseidon.

A physical representation of a deity is also called a god. If you go to Hawaii, you can even buy a god in a gift shop — a statue or idol that represents one of the Hawaiian gods, like a figure of the god Pele. The word god also refers to a man of superior quality or exceptional beauty. Elvis Presley was considered a god by many teenage girls in the late 1950s.

Definitions of god

1. noun

   any supernatural being worshipped as controlling some part of the world or some aspect of life or who is the personification of a force
   synonyms: deity, divinity, immortal

   examples:

   Demogorgon

   (Greek mythology) a mysterious and terrifying deity of the underworld

   Hypnos

   (Greek mythology) the Greek god of sleep; the son of Nyx

   Morpheus

   the Roman god of sleep and dreams

   Boddhisatva

   Buddhist worthy of nirvana who postpones it to help others

   Arhant

   a Buddhist who has attained nirvana

   Quetzalcoatl

   an Aztec deity represented as a plumed serpent

   types:

   daemon, demigod

   a person who is part mortal and part god

   sea god

   a deity that personifies the sea and is usually believed to live in or to control the sea

   sun god

   a god that personifies the sun or is otherwise associated with the sun

   Celtic deity

   a deity worshipped by the Celts

   Egyptian deity

   a deity worshipped by the ancient Egyptians

   Semitic deity

   a deity worshipped by the ancient Semites

   Hindu deity

   a deity worshipped by the Hindus

   Persian deity

   a deity worshiped by the ancient Persians

   Chinese deity

   a deity worshipped by the ancient Chinese

   Japanese deity

   a deity worshipped by the Japanese

   goddess

   a female deity

   earth god, earth-god

   a god of fertility and vegetation

   demiurge

   a subordinate deity, in some philosophies the creator of the universe

   Graeco-Roman deity, Greco-Roman deity

   a deity of classical mythology

   Greek deity

   a deity worshipped by the ancient Greeks

   Roman deity

   a deity worshipped by the ancient Romans

   Norse deity

   a deity worshipped by the ancient Norsemen

   Teutonic deity

   (German mythology) a deity worshipped by the ancient Teutons

   Anglo-Saxon deity

   (Anglo-Saxon mythology) a deity worshipped by the Anglo-Saxons

   Phrygian deity

   deity of the ancient Phrygians of west central Asia Minor

   saint

   a person who has died and has been declared a saint by canonization

   god of war, war god

   a god worshipped as giving victory in war

   snake god, zombi, zombie

   a god of voodoo cults of African origin worshipped especially in West Indies

   Grace

   (Greek mythology) one of three sisters who were the givers of beauty and charm; a favorite subject for sculptors

   Fomor, Fomorian

   one of a group of Celtic sea demons sometimes associated with the hostile power of nature

   Ler, Lir

   the sea personified; father of Manannan; corresponds to Welsh Llyr

   Llew Llaw Gyffes

   son of Gwydion and Arianrhod; supported by magic of Gwydion; cursed by Arianrhod

   Tuatha De, Tuatha De Danann

   race of Celtic gods or demigods; ruled Ireland in the Golden Age

   Amen, Amon, Amun

   a primeval Egyptian personification of air and breath; worshipped especially at Thebes

   Anunnaki, Enuki

   any of a group of powerful Babylonian earth spirits or genii; servitors of the gods

   Lilith

   in ancient Semitic folklore: a female demon who attacks children

   Aditya

   one of 7 to 12 sons of Aditi; Hindu gods of celestial light

   Ahura

   (Zoroastrianism) title for benevolent deities

   Asvins

   (literally `possessing horses' in Sanskrit) in Hinduism the twin chariot warriors conveying Surya

   Dharma

   basic principles of the cosmos; also: an ancient sage in Hindu mythology worshipped as a god by some lower castes;

   Garuda

   a supernatural eagle-like being that serves as Vishnu's mount

   Marut

   any of a group of Hindu storm gods; offspring of Rudra

   Rhibhus, Ribhus

   one of three artisans of the Hindu gods

   Soma

   personification of a sacred intoxicating drink used in Vedic ritual

   Vajra

   Indra's thunderbolt

   avatar

   the manifestation of a Hindu deity (especially Vishnu) in human or superhuman or animal form

   earth goddess, earth-goddess

   a goddess of fertility and vegetation

   faun

   ancient Italian deity in human shape, with horns, pointed ears and a goat's tail; equivalent to Greek satyr

   Adonis

   (Greek mythology) a handsome youth loved by both Aphrodite and Persephone

   forest god, satyr

   one of a class of woodland deities; attendant on Bacchus; identified with Roman fauns

   silenus

   any of the minor woodland deities who were companions of Dionysus (similar to the satyrs)

   nymph

   (classical mythology) a minor nature goddess usually depicted as a beautiful maiden

   Aether

   personification of the sky or upper air breathed by the Olympians; son of Erebus and night or of Chaos and darkness

   Moirae, Moirai

   any of the three Greek goddesses of fate or destiny; identified with the Roman Parcae and similar to the Norse Norns

   Parcae

   any of the three Roman goddesses of fate or destiny; identified with the Greek Moirai and similar to the Norse Norns

   Muse

   in ancient Greek mythology any of 9 daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne; protector of an art or science

   Pontos, Pontus

   (Greek mythology) ancient personification of the sea; father of Nereus

   Rhadamanthus

   (Greek mythology) a judge of the dead in the underworld

   Latona, Leto

   wife or mistress of Zeus and mother of Apollo and Artemis in ancient mythology; called Latona in Roman mythology

   Aesir

   (Norse mythology) the chief race of gods living at Asgard

   Vanir

   (Norse mythology) race of ancient gods sometimes in conflict with the Aesir

   Nanna

   (Norse mythology) wife of Balder

   Norn, weird sister

   (Norse mythology) any of the three goddesses of destiny; identified with Anglo-Saxon Wyrd; similar to Greek Moirae and Roman Parcae

   Sigyn

   (Norse mythology) wife of Loki; held a cup over him during his punishment to spare him the pain of drops of poison

   Ull, Ullr

   (Norse mythology) one of the Aesir known for his beauty and skill with bow and skis; son of Sif and stepson of Thor

   Vali

   (Norse mythology) one of the Aesir and avenger of Balder; son of Odin

   Vidar, Vithar, Vitharr

   (Norse mythology) one of the Aesir; son of Odin; avenges his parent by slaying Fenrir at Ragnarok

   Weird, Wyrd

   fate personified; any one of the three Weird Sisters

   patron saint

   a saint who is considered to be a defender of some group or nation

   type of:

   spiritual being, supernatural being

   an incorporeal being believed to have powers to affect the course of human events
2. noun

   a man of such superior qualities that he seems like a deity to other people
   “he was a god among men”

   type of:

   higher-up, superior, superordinate

   one of greater rank or station or quality
3. noun

   a material effigy that is worshipped
   “money was his god”

   synonyms: graven image, idol

   types:

   golden calf

   (Old Testament) an idol made by Aaron for the Israelites to worship; destroyed by Moses; it is now used to refer to anything worshipped undeservedly

   joss

   a Chinese god worshipped in the form of an idol

   Juggernaut

   a crude idol of Krishna

   type of:

   effigy, image, simulacrum

   a representation of a person (especially in the form of sculpture)