naiads

noun

variants or naiades
plural of naiad
1
as in nymphs
a mythical goddess represented as a young girl and said to live outdoors in Greek mythology, naiads supposedly drowned the young men with whom they became enamored

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in larvae
a young wingless often wormlike form (as a grub or caterpillar) that hatches from the egg of many insects students in science class learning how to distinguish a dragonfly naiad from an earthworm

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for naiads
  1. nymphs
  2. mermaids
  3. dryads
Noun
  • Hung in the den, where King pores over his many books, is a circa 1890 Henri-Fantin Latour canvas of three nymphs.
    — Sam Cochran, Architectural Digest, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Live roaches were discovered behind the cove base under the hand sink and nymphs at the display cooler next to the meat prep entrance.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of nymphs
Noun
  • He was known for his sense of whimsy, childlike wonder, and a love of the natural world—many of his preferred designs were based on flora and fauna and yielded fantastical images like mermaids, butterflies, and much more.
    — Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Saturday, utilizes 56,000 square feet of indoor space to host more than 200 vendors, sword-fighting, costume contests, live musicians, mermaids, fairies and photo ops.
    — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of mermaids
Noun
  • In the final novel of the series, The Last Battle, the destruction of trees and dryads in Lantern Waste, a place tied to the creation of Narnia itself, is one of many portentous omens signalling the end of the world.
    — Ellen Walker, JSTOR Daily, 3 Sep. 2025
Definition of dryads
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.

Browse Nearby Words

naiad
naiads
naïf
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Cite this Entry

“Naiads.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/naiads. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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