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Glite Dictionary
demigod

demigod

10 8.1
A person who is partly god and partly human with great powers
  • noun
  • /ˈdɛmɪˌɡɒd/
  • Literature
translation icon : semidiós
  • In the ancient myths, Hercules was considered a demigod because he was born from both a mortal woman and Zeus.

Tolstoy was a demigod and War and Peace his holy script.

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Examples

  • You don't need to be a demigod to be a hero.

    Hercules (2014)

  • Carter and Sadie find a prophecy that tells of the only possible demigod son of Kronos.

    Blog text (10)

  • This guy was like a demigod and was never afraid of being who he was.

    Chris Williamson

  • What kind of demigod would you be?

    Academic text (2010)

  • But who was she to question a demigod?

    Fiction book (2002)

  • In a short essay, answer the following questions: If you were a demigod, what powers would you want to have?

    Academic text (2010)

  • There is still a demigod in Argos, brother.

    Clash of the Titans (2010)

  • As a demigod, Percy Jackson has some pretty cool powers.

    Academic text (2010)

  • Thanos is a demigod whose name was derived from Thanatos, the Greek god of death.

    Blog text (16)

  • These heroes, alongside countless sailors, soothsayers and rebel demigods, named themselves the Argonauts after their sturdy ship.

Synonyms

superman
vsdemigod
974 5.8

A person much stronger and more able than most people

often denotes exceptional human ability without divine ancestry, unlike the other concept
god
vsdemigod
  • Informal
199 6.2

A man many people admire so much they seem to worship him

refers to literal partly divine origin or real powers, not mere admiration
Nephilim
vsdemigod
  • Literature
13 9.9

Giant supernatural beings born from gods and humans

is the broader mixed human and divine category not limited to giants
daemon
vsdemigod
  • Archaic
9 9.9

A spirit who is part god and part human that protects people or places

focuses on mixed mortal and divine origin rather than only great abilities
superhuman
vsdemigod
4 5.5

A person with much greater strength or powers than normal people

often lacks divine origin while the other concept implies partial divine origin
godling
vsdemigod
  • Literature
1 9.9

A lesser god or a child of a god and a human in stories

refers to partly divine offspring or powerful people rather than a minor full deity
semidivine
vsdemigod
9.3

A being who is partly like a god with some special powers

includes beings that are explicitly half human and half god or remarkable people

Antonyms

mortal
334 3.8

A human being who will die

How Divine

god
960 3.7
demigod
  • Literature
10 8.1
hero
∞ 1.1
mortal
334 3.8

Surface Forms

demigod singular
demigods plural

Morphology

demigod = god (transparent) = demi + god

The word is a direct prefixation of 'demi-' (half) to 'god', yielding the clear meaning 'half-god' or part-god.

Etymology

The word demigod comes from the prefix demi- meaning 'half' and god meaning 'god'. So a demigod is a 'half-god' — part god and part human, or a person with much greater power than ordinary people.