Adonis
/əˈdɒnɪs/noun
A very attractive young man.
Did you know?In Greek myth, Adonis was a mortal youth linked to death and rebirth, and his name became a byword for male beauty long before modern slang.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Near East
Semitic
ʾădōn
“lord, master”
Ancient Greek
Gk
Ἄδωνις
“Adonis, the beautiful youth of myth”
Classical Latin
Lat
Adōnis
“Adonis”
Middle English
Eng
Adonis
“the mythological handsome youth”
18th Century
Eng
Adonis
“an extremely handsome man”
Modern English
Eng
adonis
“a very attractive young man”
Explore more surprising origins