Meanings
demigod1
plural demigods · alternative demi-god
- Someone held up for reverence as a supreme example.
Near-synonyms: hero, icon, idol, exemplar
2 more examples
"Ah! he is one of your idols, I suppose," said Lord Norbourne, with a slight approach to a sneer. "Youth is prone to admire; but it is odd how, in a few years, we discover the defects of our demigods...
1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “Different Views of Youth and Age”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 99He finds, not “demigods” but “ a combative group of exhausted, drunken, broken, petty, partisan, scheming, squabbling, bloviating, sensory-deprived, underoxygenated, fed-up, talked-out, overheated delegates so distraught they threatened violence, secession.
2013, The Ultimate Daily Show and Philosophy
Demigod2
- informalhobbiesThe ice hockey player Ivan Demidov, when portrayed as a hero.
The 19-year-old right-winger — already dubbed Demigod — was set to play his first game with the Canadiens and the buzz in the city was off the charts.
2025 April 15, Brendan Kelly, “What the Puck- Ivan Demidov's Canadiens debut fires up Montreal fans”, in Montreal Gazette, archived from the original on 07 Jan 2026
Synonyms & antonyms
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
demigod · noun
- Proto-Indo-European*dwóh₁
- Proto-Indo-European*trísinflu.
- Proto-Indo-European*d(w)is-
- Proto-Italic*dis-
- Latindis-
- Proto-Indo-European*me
- Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-?
- Proto-Indo-European*médʰi
- Proto-Indo-European*médʰyos
- Proto-Italic*meðios
- Latinmedius
- Latindīmidius
- Vulgar Latin*dimedius
- Anglo-Normandemi
- Middle Englishdemi
- Englishdemi-
- Proto-Indo-European*ǵʰew-
- Proto-Indo-European*ǵʰutós?
- Proto-Germanic*gudą
- Proto-West Germanic*god
- Old Englishgod
- Middle Englishgod
- Englishgod
- Latinsemideus
- Englishdemigod
From demi- + god. Calque of Latin semideus (“half-god”), which is probably a coining by the Roman poet Ovid for less important gods such as dryads.
Full word history & related roots →Demigod · proper noun
Blend of Russian Демидов (Demidov) + demigod.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἡμίθεος
- ἡμίθεος (hēmítheos)a half-god or hero
Arabic نِصْف إِلٰه
- نِصْف إِلٰه (niṣf ʔilāh)a half-god or hero
Bulgarian полубо́г
- полубо́г (polubóg)a half-god or hero
Catalan semidéu, semideessa
- semidéua half-god or hero
- semideessaa half-god or hero
- semidéua lesser deity
- semideessaa lesser deity
Chinese Mandarin 半神半人, 半神
- 半神半人 (bànshénbànrén)a half-god or hero
- 半神 (bànshén)a half-god or hero
- 次神 (cìshén)a lesser deity
Czech polobůh
- polobůha half-god or hero
Danish halvgud, halvgud
- halvguda half-god or hero
- halvguda lesser deity
Dutch halfgod, lagere godheid
- halfgoda half-god or hero
- lagere godheida lesser deity
Esperanto duondio
- duondioa half-god or hero
Estonian pooljumal
- pooljumala half-god or hero
Finnish puolijumala, puolijumala
- puolijumalaa half-god or hero
- puolijumalaa lesser deity
French demi-dieu
- demi-dieua half-god or hero
German Halbgott, Halbgott
- Halbgotta half-god or hero
- Halbgotta lesser deity
Greek ημίθεος, ήρωας
- ημίθεος (imítheos)a half-god or hero
- ήρωας (íroas)a half-god or hero
- ημίθεος (imítheos)a lesser deity
Hungarian félisten, félisten
- félistena half-god or hero
- félistena lesser deity
Indonesian setengah dewa
- setengah dewaa half-god or hero
Italian semidio, semidio
- semidioa half-god or hero
- semidioa lesser deity
Japanese 半神
- 半神 (hanshin)a half-god or hero
Korean 반신반인, 반신
- 반신반인 (bansinbanin)a half-god or hero
- 반신 (bansin)a half-god or hero
Latin sēmideus
- sēmideusa half-god or hero
Norwegian Bokmål halvgud, halvgud
- halvguda half-god or hero
- halvguda lesser deity
Persian نیمایزد, نیمخدا
- نیمایزد (nim-izad)a half-god or hero
- نیمخدا (nimxodâ)a half-god or hero
Polish półbóg, bóstwo
- półbóga half-god or hero
- bóstwoa lesser deity
Portuguese semideus, semideus
- semideusa half-god or hero
- semideusa lesser deity
Romanian semizeu
- semizeua half-god or hero
Russian полубо́г, божество́
- полубо́г (polubóx)a half-god or hero
- божество́ (božestvó)a lesser deity
- полубо́г (polubóx)a lesser deity
- божо́к (božók)a lesser deity
Slovak poloboh
- poloboha half-god or hero
Spanish semidiós
- semidiósa half-god or hero
Swahili nusumungu, nusumungu
- nusumungua half-god or hero
- nusumungua lesser deity
Swedish halvgud
- halvguda half-god or hero
Turkish yarıtanrı
- yarıtanrıa half-god or hero
Ukrainian напівбо́г
- напівбо́г (napivbóh)a half-god or hero
Vietnamese á thần, bán thần
- á thầna half-god or hero
- bán thầna half-god or hero
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
demigod. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/demigod
“demigod.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/demigod. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “demigod,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/demigod.
Source: demigod on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.