Hades
noun
Ha·des ˈhā-(ˌ)dēz 
1
: the Greek god of the underworld
2
: the underground abode of the dead in Greek mythology
3
: sheol
4
often hades : hell sense 1a
Did you know?
In Greek mythology, Hades is both the land of the dead and the god who rules there. Hades the god (who the Greeks also called Pluto) is the brother of Zeus and Poseidon, who rule the skies and the seas. The realm called Hades, where he rules with his wife Persephone, is the region under the earth, full of mineral wealth and fertility and home to dead souls. Hades today is sometimes used as a polite term for Hell ("It's hotter than Hades in here!").
Examples of Hades in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Using gifts from the gods—Athena's polished shield, Hermes' winged sandals, Hades' helm of invisibility, and a sword—Perseus beheaded Medusa and later used her head as a weapon. —
Amanda Castro hannah Parry anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025 Epstein himself, competing from Hades, placed third (9.5 percent). —George Kalogerakis, Air Mail, 9 Aug. 2025 In the Greek myth, musician Orpheus loses wife Eurydice to a snake bite and travels to the underworld to plead with Hades for her return. —Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 8 Aug. 2025 The fictional Night Raven College serves as a training ground for aspiring sorcerers, with dormitories themed around villainous icons like the Queen of Hearts, Scar, Ursula, Jafar, the Evil Queen, Hades and Maleficent. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 5 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for Hades
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Amanda Castro hannah Parry anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025 Epstein himself, competing from Hades, placed third (9.5 percent). —George Kalogerakis, Air Mail, 9 Aug. 2025 In the Greek myth, musician Orpheus loses wife Eurydice to a snake bite and travels to the underworld to plead with Hades for her return. —Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 8 Aug. 2025 The fictional Night Raven College serves as a training ground for aspiring sorcerers, with dormitories themed around villainous icons like the Queen of Hearts, Scar, Ursula, Jafar, the Evil Queen, Hades and Maleficent. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 5 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for Hades
Cite this Entry
“Hades.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/Hades. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
