orgy

noun

or·​gy ˈȯr-jē How to pronounce orgy (audio)
plural orgies
1
: secret ceremonial rites held in honor of an ancient Greek or Roman deity and usually characterized by ecstatic singing and dancing
Roman orgies in honor of Bacchus
2
a
: drunken revelry
b
: a sexual encounter involving many people
also : an excessive sexual indulgence (see indulgence sense 1a)
3
: excessive indulgence (see indulgence sense 1a) in something especially to satisfy an inordinate appetite or craving
an orgy of destruction
a national orgy of thrill seeking and risk takingK. T. Greenfeld

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Unsexy Orgies

Orgy is a word which for many immediately conjures salacious imagery and blushed cheeks. However, both the oldest and the most recently-adopted senses of this word contain meanings which may not be at all sexual in nature. The word first came into English in the middle of the 16th century in reference to secret ceremonial rites, particularly those of the Romans and ancient Greeks, which involved singing and dancing. The licentious meaning was not added until the beginning of the 18th century. And the most recent senses (“a riotous display” and “a manifestation of extreme indulgence”), which may describe such things as an assembly of garish colors or a spectacle of destruction, appear to date from the late 19th century.

Examples of orgy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Alia then derisively witnesses a Fremen spice orgy of clapping, singing, drinking, and coupling. Max Evry, WIRED, 4 Mar. 2024 As the country participated in the gratuitous orgy of capitalism otherwise known as Super Bowl LVIII, the real ones know that even though the Chiefs came out on top in a down-to-the-wire overtime win over the 49ers, the bona-fide highlights of every Super Bowl Sunday are those super spots. Rob Ledonne, Rolling Stone, 12 Feb. 2024 Sign up Stephen Hawking comes up, in an email in which Epstein offered a reward for information to disprove claims that the physicist had taken part in an orgy on his private island. The Week Uk, theweek, 13 Jan. 2024 There's been parties with the bohemian set, there's been the art stuff, there's been the orgies. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 21 Dec. 2023 The idea of a rebellion orgy gave me new respect for this silly cocktail, popular in the Eighties, amid a nostalgia for the tropics, in the wake of the decolonization of much of the globe. Jordan Castro, Harper's Magazine, 5 Jan. 2024 The Marvels is an orgy of intersectional Disney/MCU platitudes. Armond White, National Review, 22 Nov. 2023 Once, to make researchers go away, scores of them, the French activist told me, held an orgy on the sand as anthropologists watched from their boat. Jordan Castro, Harper's Magazine, 5 Jan. 2024 It’s been two decades since Wilkinson moved into the infamous Playboy Mansion, the Holmby Hills home once notorious for its lavish parties, orgies and drug abuse. Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'orgy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle French orgie, from Latin orgia, plural, from Greek; akin to Greek ergon work — more at work

First Known Use

circa 1561, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of orgy was circa 1561

Dictionary Entries Near orgy

Cite this Entry

“Orgy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/orgy. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

orgy

noun
or·​gy ˈȯr-jē How to pronounce orgy (audio)
plural orgies
1
: secret ceremonies in honor of an ancient Greek or Roman god usually celebrated by wild singing and dancing
2
: something (as a party) that resembles an orgy in lack of control

More from Merriam-Webster on orgy

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