An odyssey
An odyssey is a long, eventful journey or experience, usually involving difficulties, discoveries, and unexpected turns; the phrase comes from the story of Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey. Today it can describe anything from years of travel to a complicated search for a new home.
Where it comes from
The journey home
The phrase comes from the story of Odysseus, whose return home after the Trojan War takes ten years. Dangerous encounters and long delays keep him from his wife and son.
In The Odyssey, Odysseus escapes the Cyclops by hiding his surviving men beneath sheep. Their escape is only one stage of his troubled voyage home to Ithaca.
In The Odyssey by Homer
A journey beyond travel
Today, an odyssey can also mean a long personal experience with many stages or setbacks. It need not involve a voyage, but it suggests more than an ordinary errand.
In David Copperfield, David passes through an unhappy childhood, factory work, schooling, and the struggle to establish himself as a writer. His path towards a settled life could be described as a personal odyssey.
In David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
How to use an odyssey
- Choose a journey or experience with several stages or setbacks.
- Explain what made it long, difficult, or revealing.
- Use a lowercase o unless referring to Homer's title.
Does an odyssey have to be a physical journey?
No, an odyssey can be a long personal experience rather than physical travel. A difficult search for work, a lengthy recovery, or years spent tracing family history might qualify if the experience involves several stages, setbacks, or discoveries.
What is the difference between an odyssey and a journey?
An odyssey suggests a longer, more eventful experience than the general word journey. It often carries a sense of struggle or discovery, recalling Odysseus's troubled homecoming in The Odyssey. A simple trip usually does not need such a weighty word.
Related terms
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