Promethean

adjective

Pro·me·the·an prə-ˈmē-thē-ən

Synonyms of Promethean next

: of, relating to, or resembling Prometheus, his experiences, or his art

especially : daringly original or creative

Did you know?

As some versions of the story go in Greek mythology, Prometheus (one of the Titan giants) modeled humans from clay and then taught them agriculture and all the arts of civilization. He also stole fire from the gods and gave it to humans. So inventive was he that anything that bears the stamp of creativity and originality can still be called Promethean. Zeus, however, had wanted the human race to perish, so Prometheus' actions were also disobedient. Hence Promethean can also mean defiant of authority or limits. As punishment for his disobedience, Zeus chained Prometheus to a rock where an eagle daily tore at his liver. Thus, any suffering on a grand scale can also be called Promethean - though this sense is not as common as the others.

Examples of Promethean in a Sentence

it is only through the efforts of a Promethean pioneer that an art form advances

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Farming the Genetic Frontier Supporters see the biotechnology revolution in agriculture as a Promethean step forward, whereas critics see it as the start down a slope to futuristic disaster. —

Foreign Affairs, 10 June 2024 The Promethean power of these systems is unlocking languages and dialects that have been unspoken for millennia. —

Jamie Merisotis, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023 Others threaten nature with Promethean recklessness. —

Carl Zimmer, Discover Magazine, 3 Nov. 2010 The betterment of humankind through the conquest of space is a Promethean ambition, suitable for a world-famous billionaire. —

Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 21 Mar. 2022 Many of them are here already in the pages of The Earth Transformed, obscured only by the long Promethean shadow that Frankopan attaches to the lonely figure of Man. —

Ben Ehrenreich, The New Republic, 10 May 2023 And the way this legacy antihero is treated like an afterthought, a needless addition to the supervillian roster, a half-baked Promethean concept and, later, a plot convenience is a huge bummer for fans. —

David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 Apr. 2023 He was cast as a Promethean figure, leading an elite of workers whose nerves and muscles, minds and souls, were utterly attuned to the technological production systems themselves. —

Bogdan Costea, Fortune, 30 Mar. 2023