Meanings
dionysian1
comparative more dionysian · superlative most dionysian
- Wild, irrational, undisciplined, orgiastic.
He said he loved making movies like Luca Guadagnino’s “A Bigger Splash,” in which his charismatic, obstreperous character, Harry Hawkes, a music producer described by the Italian director as “a pagan fawn,” does a Dionysian dance to the Rolling Stones song “Emotional Rescue.”
2022 October 22, Maureen Dowd, “Ralph Fiennes, Master of Monsters”, in The New York TimesSynonyms: dionysiac
Dionysian2
- alternativenot comparableAlternative form of dionysian.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveWild, irrational, undisciplined, orgiastic.
adjectiveOf or pertaining to Dionysus.
Origin
- Germandionysisch“Dionysian”
- Englishdionysian
From German dionysisch (“Dionysian”). Coined by German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche.
More words from German
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan dionisíac, dionisíac
- dionisíacwild, irrational, and undisciplined
- dionisíacof or pertaining to Dionysus
Finnish dionyysinen, dionyysinen
- dionyysinenwild, irrational, and undisciplined
- dionyysinenof or pertaining to Dionysus
French dionysien
- dionysienof or pertaining to Dionysus
German dionysisch, dionysisch
- dionysischwild, irrational, and undisciplined
- dionysischof or pertaining to Dionysus
Greek διονυσιακός, διονυσιακός
- διονυσιακός (dionysiakós)wild, irrational, and undisciplined
- διονυσιακός (dionysiakós)of or pertaining to Dionysus
Portuguese dionisíaco
- dionisíacoof or pertaining to Dionysus
Romanian dionisiac
- dionisiacof or pertaining to Dionysus
Russian диониси́ческий, диониси́ческий
- диониси́ческий (dionisíčeskij)wild, irrational, and undisciplined
- диониси́ческий (dionisíčeskij)of or pertaining to Dionysus
Spanish dionisíaco, dionisiaco
- dionisíacoof or pertaining to Dionysus
- dionisiacoof or pertaining to Dionysus
Cite this entry
dionysian. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dionysian
“dionysian.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dionysian. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “dionysian,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dionysian.
Source: dionysian on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.