Dithyramb

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈdɪθ.ɪ.ɹæm/

Definitions

1. A fervent and exuberant utterance or composition characterized by passionate intensity and often excessive emotionality, whether as an ancient Greek choral hymn to Dionysus or modern elaborate praise
2. An impassioned and uninhibited poetic or musical expression marked by ecstatic fervor and eloquent exaggeration, originating from Dionysian ritual verse or appearing as modern effusive tribute
3. An ancient Greek choral song performed in honor of Dionysus characterized by wild, enthusiastic expression ; a highly emotional and exaggerated form of praise or celebration often seen in literary or musical works

Etymology: The Greek "dithyrambos" was the name of a choral hymn sung to Dionysus, and its own origin is unusually murky. Ancient Greek writers offered several explanations, including the story that the name referred to the god's double birth, but the word itself appears to predate Greek and likely belongs to a non-Indo-European substrate language spoken in the region before Greek arrived. Scholars have compared it with "thríambos" and "íambos," words connected with the iambic verse form and a triumphal cry, which suggests a shared, older vocabulary of ritual song. The form that reached English passed through Latin, where "dithyrambus" was borrowed from the Greek. Its meaning in Greek was the enthusiastic, unrestrained hymn of the Dionysian festivals, and the choral performances were famous for their wild, ecstatic style, which is why the word later came to describe any frenzied or overwrought outburst of praise. The sense of a deliberately exaggerated, emotional poem or piece of music developed from that reputation in later European literature.

Synonyms: ode, hymn