Goddess
n.joyful, capableformal
Meaning 1
A female deity in a religious or mythological tradition.
Reach for it when naming a divine figure when the tradition itself identifies her that way
The exhibit traces how the goddess of wisdom appeared on civic seals.
Choose between these
3- professional
divine figure
respectful neutral wording is needed across traditions
not when Divine figure is broad and may include spirits or sacred heroes.
- formal
deity
gender is unknown, irrelevant, or expressed differently in the tradition
not when Deity loses the explicitly female identity carried by goddess.
- literary
mythic deathlessness is the defining feature
not when Not every goddess is described as immortal, and not every immortal is divine.
Meaning 2
A woman admired as exceptionally beautiful, talented, or commanding.
Reach for it when offering exuberant figurative praise in a context where it will not objectify her
On opening night, the veteran singer was an absolute stage goddess.
Choose between these
4- playful
confident fan praise suits mastery or style
not when Queen can imply rank, drag culture, or a literal monarch depending on context.
- everyday
star
public talent and recognition deserve familiar praise
not when Star is less intense and may suggest fame rather than excellence.
- warm
lasting cultural admiration matters more than literal divinity
not when Icon can praise influence without the glamour or feminine force of goddess.
- literary
striking appearance is specifically what astonishes
not when Vision focuses on looks and is unsuitable when achievement deserves the praise.
Said against
3- mortal
- human
- nobody
It naturally appears in
3- goddess of wisdom
The goddess of wisdom carries different symbols across the surviving artworks.
- ancient goddess
The ancient goddess remained central to the city's spring rites.
- stage goddess
Reviewers welcomed the stage goddess back after a decade away.
Where this comes from
Religious traditions do not all organize divinity by a male-female binary. The figurative sense can objectify a woman or reduce achievement to appearance.
- Wiktionary, English noun sense 1: female deity opens in a new tab for meaning 1 · retrieved 2026-07-26
- Wiktionary, English figurative noun sense: highly admired woman opens in a new tab for meaning 2 · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.