stygian meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

stygian

adjalso spelled Stygian

UK, US /ˈstɪd͡ʒ.i.ən/

Etymology From Latin stygius + -ian, from Ancient Greek Στύγιος (Stúgios, “relating to Styx”), from Στύξ (Stúx, “Styx, chief river of underworld”).

Alternative Alternative form of Stygian (“of or relating to the river Styx”).

Figuratively, Literary Infernal or hellish.

The things which the Stygian darkness hid from my objective eye […]1913 January–May, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “The Gods of Mars”, in The All-Story, New York, N.Y.: Frank A. Munsey Co., →OCLC; republished as The Gods of Mars, Chicago, Ill.: A[lexander] C[aldwell] McClurg & Co., September 1918, →OCLC, page 184:

Of a perceived color Having a luminosity below 0%.

noun

UK, US /ˈstɪd͡ʒiən/

Etymology See stygian.

Literature, Media, Publishing, Science fiction An inhabitant of Styx (a moon of Pluto).

Stygians – natives of Styx1940, Edmond Hamilton, Calling Captain Future, page 55:

adj

Etymology See stygian.

Human sciences, Mysticism, Mythology, Philosophy, Sciences Greek Of, by or relating to the river Styx in Greek mythology.

But then, what though the mystic Three Around me ply their merry trade? — And Charon soon may carry me Across the gloomy Stygian glade?1897, Edwin Arlington Robinson, “Ballade by the Fire”, in Children of the Night:

Astronomy, Natural sciences Of, by or relating to the Plutonian moon named after Styx.

Alternative, Figuratively Alternative form of stygian: dark and gloomy, or infernal and hellish.

Within all was black as the tomb. […] Feeling before him upon the floor with the butt of his spear, Tarzan entered the Stygian gloom.1913 June–December, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Return of Tarzan, New York, N.Y.: A[lexander] C[aldwell] McClurg, published March 1915, →OCLC:
Or maybe Trump has designs on hell, viewing it as a totally unexploited real-estate opportunity to create some kind of Stygian Riviera.2026 April 17, Marina Hyde, “Is the pope Catholic? JD Vance thinks he has an answer”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — authors: page histories for stygian and Stygian.