Olympian

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. Pertaining to the ancient Greek mountain home of the gods ; exhibiting majestic skill or serene composure
2. Connected with the divine beings of Greek mythology on Olympus ; showing outstanding ability or a composed, dignified manner
3. Relating to the mythological deities who lived on Mount Olympus ; characterized by exceptional greatness or calm, lofty demeanor

Etymology: Mount Olympus, the highest peak in Greece, was home to the gods in Greek myth, and the Greeks built a sanctuary to Zeus at Olympia, a town in Elis, where the Olympic Games were held. The adjective grew from that mountain name: Ancient Greek "Olumpios" meant "of or pertaining to Mount Olympus," and it passed into Latin as "Olympius" and into English in the Late Middle Ages. Later, Latin "Olympianus" ("Olympic") gave English a second line of descent through the town's games. The word's sense of lofty, serene greatness comes from the gods themselves. Greek poets pictured the Olympian deities as remote and untroubled by mortal cares, living above the weather on their mountain, so an "Olympian" calm is one that seems to sit above ordinary human conflict. In the United States, the city of Olympia, Washington, is named after the Olympic Mountains visible to its northwest, which were themselves named after Mount Olympus in Greece.

Synonyms: godlike, heroic, divine, superhuman, epic

Antonyms: mortal, earthly, ordinary, common, humble