mythological figure
1
5.8
- noun
- Literature
:
figura mitológica
- Whether the dog man, if it exists, is merely a mythological figure, a misplaced, uncataloged animal, or something far beyond our understanding its presence continues to challenge those that seek answers, causing people like Lee and Linda Godfrey to continually seek new explanations for a mystery that might never be solved.
Examples
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Now, I don't know what that says to you, but to me it says that following these faiths based on mythological figures ensures the destruction of one's inner being.
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According to some Kimberley traditions, the mythological figure of Wodoi, the spotted nightjar (a nocturnal bird), invented the first stone-tipped spears.
Academic text (2008) -
It was essentially a Native American mythological figure that was especially pronounced during the winter months.
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Second, the identification of the mythological figures pictured in the fresco is straightforward.
Academic text (2005) -
Sandy is short for Cassandra, the Greek mythological figure who epitomizes tragedy.
Blog text (8) -
They were like mythological figures balancing a symbolic orb over an antique door.
Fiction book (1995) -
In both groups of works, the actual scale of the conduit has been drastically reduced to the point that the bodies of the mythological figures practically span the conduit as a whole.
Academic text (2012) -
The elaborately carved facade depicts Nabataean gods, goddesses, and mythological figures.
Academic text (2000) -
Revel's comparison of the sisters to mythological figures in the tapestries, Ann to Ariadne and Rose to Phaedra, reinforces their image as museum characters (173-74).
Academic text (2003) -
In ancient lore, Zeus is a prominent mythological figure known for wielding thunder and ruling Mount Olympus.
Synonyms
280
4.4
A woman that people worship because she has great magical power
124
5.5
A strong, brave figure from old myths who is often part human and part god
62
7.4
A god or goddess that people worship and think has power over part of the world
55
3.0
An object or image that people worship and treat as having power
10
8.1
A person who is partly god and partly human with great powers
9
9.9
A spirit who is part god and part human that protects people or places
1
6.5
A made-up creature from old stories or folk tales
A brave person in old stories who does great deeds
A female figure in myths who is partly a god and has some magic powers
How Mythic
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a character from a myth or legend' is directly derivable from 'mythological' (pertaining to myths) + 'figure' (a person or character). This is a straightforward compositional noun phrase that follows common cross-linguistic patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily understand it.
Etymology
Mythological figure joins mythological, meaning 'from old stories', and figure, meaning 'a person'. Imagine a powerful person in an old story, and that image explains why it means 'a character from a myth or legend'.