orphic

adjective

Definition of orphicnext
as in mystical

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of orphic Sonia Delaunay’s Electric Prisms (1913), with its titular nod to advances in electricity still relatively new at the time, underscores the decidedly urban tenor of Orphic painting in this regard. — Ara H. Merjian, ARTnews.com, 3 Sep. 2019 Readers mystified by any of the author’s orphic lingo will find full explanations in the book’s extensive glossary. — Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, 23 Aug. 2018 As if fearing that too lyrical an approach to such an orphic figure would result in incoherence, Gooch describes this poet’s life in a decidedly unpoetic way. — The Washington Post, The Denver Post, 20 Jan. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for orphic
  1. mystical
  2. mystic
  3. mysterious
  4. enigmatic
  5. uncanny
  6. inscrutable
  7. complex
  8. darkling
Adjective
  • Musashi becomes unwillingly bound to the mystical Oni Gauntlet.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The family lived in Ury, France, south of Paris, near Fontainebleau, which is famous for its royal palace and almost mystical woods.
    — Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of mystical
Adjective
  • The piece, inspired by the 12th-century polymathic mystic Saint Hildegard of Bingen, was skin-tinglingly breathy and slow, with long tones (played by Malone and her accompanist Stephen O’Malley) that rose up and swirled around the room.
    — Andy Battaglia, ARTnews.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Poetry of a Hindu mystic Kashmir gradually became a predominantly Muslim society after the Shah Mir dynasty came to power in the 14th century.
    — Peter Dziedzic, The Conversation, 30 July 2026
Definition of mystic
Adjective
  • Add the mysterious departure of the younger Belichick and that only adds more to Craig’s plate.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Elizabeth, less inclined to anatomize herself in writing, remains the more mysterious force.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of mysterious
Adjective
  • For the next 90 days, NASA teams will ready the Roman telescope for its five-year mission to study enigmatic phenomena like dark matter while hunting for habitable worlds beyond our solar system.
    — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Matt, whose perspective is largely withheld, remains the most enigmatic of the group, and the one most desperately sought after.
    — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of enigmatic
Adjective
  • These particles efficiently scatter the blue and green light while letting red and orange wavelengths pass through, creating the uncanny feeling of an all-day sunset.
    — Michael A. Robinson, The Conversation, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The skyline floated like an uncanny but beautiful projection off to our side.
    — Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of uncanny
Adjective
  • But, practically speaking, none of it is imaginable or executable without digital technologies that are fundamentally black-boxed, inscrutable to individual cops on the beat and institutional decision-makers alike.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Up in the directors’ box, sporting director Andrea Berta wore an inscrutable expression as the game flowed.
    — Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of inscrutable
Adjective
  • The approach does not automatically establish the exact cause of every settlement anomaly, and underground conditions can be complex.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026
  • To create objects with collapsibility as a core feature, Toyonaga’s team devised an analytic design algorithm allowing incremental construction of complex scissored surfaces.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of complex
Adjective
  • Its 19th-century spire lit up like a matchstick against the darkling sky, its tip cracking and plunging through the ceiling.
    — Michael Kimmelman, New York Times, 6 Dec. 2024
Definition of darkling

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orphaned
orphic
orthodox
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Cite this Entry

“Orphic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/orphic. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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