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Glite Dictionary
😠 A rude critic 🏺 A Greek character
Thersites

Thersites

9.9
A character in Greek stories famous for ugly looks and rude behavior toward leaders
  • proper noun
  • /θərˈsaɪtiːz/
  • Literature
translation icon : Tersites
  • In his speech, the author compared modern critics to Thersites, highlighting their insolent disregard for tradition.

Examples

  • Oh, Thersites, and all this time I thought that Antigone was simply one of those typical women who would prefer her menfolk to remain at home to till the fields, harvest the crops, do the heavy lifting, and fend off rapists and robbers.

    Blog text (4)

  • The readers of this section (each reader was allotted seventy-five lines or so) didn't feel the need to try to rise to the melodramatic fury of Achilles's speeches, or, for that matter, the angry words of Agamemnon or Thersites.

    Academic text (2008)

  • During the debate, one participant's attitude sharply resembled that of Thersites, as he openly insulted his opponents.

  • The character of Thersites in the play served as a reminder of the consequences of arrogance and disrespect in society.

Antonyms

hero
∞ 1.1

A person admired for brave actions and good qualities

beauty
847 1.0

A combination of qualities like shape and color that pleases the eye

Surface Forms

Thersites main

Etymology

Thersites is a character in Homer's Iliad who was mocked for his 'ugly' looks and for loudly insulting leaders, and that image explains why his name now stands for a bold, disrespectful person.