Corybantic

Friday, June 27, 2025
Word of the Day

What is Corybantic?

adjective
Wildly excited; frenzied.

Pronunciation

US pronunciation: /ˌkɔːr.ɪˈbæn.tɪk/
UK pronunciation: /ˌkɒr.ɪˈbæn.tɪk/
Slow pronunciation: kor-ih-BAN-tik

Meaning Explained

Corybantic harkens to ecstatic dances of the Corybantes—now any deliriously exuberant frenzy.

Why This Word?

Chosen for summer festivals where crowds whirl and drums thunder.

Examples of Use

Here's how this word appears in everyday language:

  • Corybantic rhythms shook the floorboards.
  • A corybantic finale sent sparks skyward.
  • They danced in corybantic circles until dawn.

Word Origins

From the Corybantes, frenzied attendants of Cybele in Greek myth

Literary, somewhat humorous or grand.

First appearance in English: 19th century

Word Family

Related forms of this word:

  • Adjective: bacchic

    Bacchic revelry spilled into streets.

  • Adjective: orgiastic

    Orgiastic drumming drove the rite.

  • Adjective: frenetic

    Frenetic energy fueled the crowd.

Around the World

How this word appears in other languages:

  • Spanish: coribántico (frenético)
  • French: corybantique
  • German: korybantisch / ekstatisch
  • Italian: coribantico
  • Portuguese: coribântico

If you Already Know This Word

If you've mastered this word, try these more advanced alternatives:

Bacchanalian

Wine-feast wildness; corybantic is ecstatic dance.

Dionysian

Chaotic creative impulse; broader than corybantic.

Manic

Clinical register; corybantic is figurative/literary.

Fun Facts

  • Stravinsky's "sacrificial dances" feel corybantic to listeners.
  • The adjective often pairs with "frenzy" or "ecstasy."

Cultural Usage

  • Corybantes performed armored ecstatic dances.
  • Critics dub certain climaxes "corybantic."

Common Mistakes

Not "corbantic"; keep the "y."

Micro Story

The stadium erupted into a corybantic celebration.