cynthia

cynthia — noun

1. In Greek mythology, a name for the goddess Artemis, daughter of Zeus and Leto an

1.名詞B2
釋義

In Greek mythology, a name for the goddess Artemis, daughter of Zeus and Leto and twin sister of Apollo, who ruled over the hunt, wild animals, and the Moon — used especially in poetry and formal writing as a learned epithet tying the goddess to Mount Cynthus on Delos, where she was born.

例句

Lukas read about the goddess Cynthia in his textbook on Greek myths.

goddess + Cynthia as appositive title

The old temple on Delos island was built for Cynthia, twin sister of Apollo.

temple built for Cynthia + sacred location (Delos)

同義詞
  • Artemis

    The primary Greek name; Cynthia is a derivative epithet tied to her birthplace on Mount Cynthus.

  • Diana

    The Roman equivalent; more widely recognised in Western art and literature than the epithet Cynthia.

  • Phoebe

    Another Greek epithet meaning 'bright' or 'radiant', used especially for the goddess's lunar aspect.

反義詞
  • Apollo

    Her twin brother, often contrasted as the sun god against Cynthia/Artemis as the moon goddess.

文法句型

Cynthia as a name/epithet for the goddess

the goddess Cynthia (appositive structure)

用法筆記

Always capitalized. More common in literary and poetic English than in everyday speech. In modern retellings of Greek myths, the name Artemis is used far more widely than Cynthia.

常見錯誤

❌Cynthia was angry with the hunter.
✅The goddess Artemis
💡also called Cynthia — was angry with the hunter.' — Readers unfamiliar with the epithet may not realise Cynthia refers to a goddess; introducing her with the full name Artemis first helps.
❌My friend Cynthia is a Greek goddess.
✅In Greek mythology, Cynthia is another name for the goddess Artemis.
💡The mythological epithet Cynthia is distinct from the modern female given name.

2. A literary name for the Moon, especially when pictured as a goddess or a beautif

2.名詞C1
釋義

A literary name for the Moon, especially when pictured as a goddess or a beautiful female figure riding across the night sky — common in English poetry from the 16th to the 19th centuries, where writers used Cynthia to give the moon a classical, mythological identity.

例句

The poet wrote about Cynthia riding her silver chariot across the night sky.

Cynthia + silver chariot (traditional moon-imagery pattern)

Yael looked at the full moon and thought of Cynthia, the goddess of the night.

同義詞
  • Luna

    The Roman goddess of the moon; more direct and less literary than Cynthia.

  • Selene

    The Greek Titaness of the moon; a distinct mytho-logical figure rather than an epithet.

  • moon

    The plain English term; Cynthia adds personification and classical flavour that 'moon' lacks.

反義詞
  • sun

    Often contrasted with Cynthia in poetry as the opposing celestial body.

  • Sol

    The Roman sun god; the masculine counterpart to the feminine Cynthia.

文法句型

Cynthia as a personified name for the Moon

possessive: Cynthia's light (meaning moonlight)

用法筆記

Exclusively found in poetry and literary prose, especially from the 16th to 19th centuries. In contemporary English, Cynthia as a moon name sounds deliberately archaic or classical. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 2 does not refer to Artemis or the hunt, only to the Moon in the sky.

常見錯誤

❌The Cynthia rose over the horizon.
✅Cynthia rose over the horizon.
💡When used as a poetic name for the moon, Cynthia takes no article, just like a person's name.
❌In the poem, Cynthia the moon was sad.
✅In the poem, Cynthia, the moon goddess, was sad.
💡Cynthia is a personified name, not a title preceding 'moon'; use an appositive structure.