Illustration of albatross
- albatross 1
albatross
noun
al·ba·tross
ˈal-bə-ˌtrȯs 
-ˌträs
plural albatross or albatrosses
1
: any of a family (Diomedeidae) of large web-footed seabirds that have long slender wings, are excellent gliders, and include the largest seabirds
2
a
: something that causes persistent deep concern or anxiety
b
: something that greatly hinders accomplishment : encumbrance
Fame has become an albatross that prevents her from leading a normal life.
3
chiefly British, golf
: a score of three under par made on a hole : double eagle
The first play-off at Augusta followed the most famous single stroke in Masters history, Sarazen's albatross, or double eagle as the Americans prefer to describe such accidents of fortune, at the 15th.—
P. A. Ward-Thomas
P. A. Ward-Thomas
Did you know?
Why is albatross used to refer to a burden?
The albatross is an exceedingly large seabird, having a wingspan as much as 11 feet across. It is a magnificent glider, capable of staying aloft for hours at a time without flapping its wings, and tends to remain almost entirely at sea, typically coming ashore only to breed.
In Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s 1798 poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, the titular mariner kills an albatross that has been following his ship, bringing down a curse that leads to the death of all other crew members. As a punishment, the crew hang the dead bird from the mariner’s neck, and he remains alive to witness the ship’s fate unfold. This potent emblem led to the coining of a metaphorical meaning for albatross as something that causes anxiety or guilt or that burdens and encumbers.
Examples of albatross in a Sentence
Fame has become an albatross that prevents her from leading a normal and happy life.
Fame has become an albatross around her neck.
Recent Examples on the Web
At best, our rights as trans people are treated as a political liability, an albatross Democrats dare not drape around their necks, even after naked bigotry and calls for anti-trans violence have become the modern Republican Party’s most defining traits.
—Samantha Riedel, Them, 24 Oct. 2024
Of the other six birds, two more were Atlantic yellow-nosed albatrosses.
—Danielle Beurteaux, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Oct. 2024
The cause of the albatross’s misery was evident: it was caught in a weather balloon.
—Danielle Beurteaux, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Oct. 2024
Imagine snorkeling with playful sea lions, walking alongside giant tortoises, and watching the famous blue-footed boobies dance right in front of you or the waved albatross performing their (goofy-looking) mating ritual.
—Josh Rivera, USA TODAY, 6 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for albatross 
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.
Samantha Riedel, Them, 24 Oct. 2024
Of the other six birds, two more were Atlantic yellow-nosed albatrosses.
—Danielle Beurteaux, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Oct. 2024
The cause of the albatross’s misery was evident: it was caught in a weather balloon.
—Danielle Beurteaux, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Oct. 2024
Imagine snorkeling with playful sea lions, walking alongside giant tortoises, and watching the famous blue-footed boobies dance right in front of you or the waved albatross performing their (goofy-looking) mating ritual.
—Josh Rivera, USA TODAY, 6 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for albatross
Articles Related to albatross
Dictionary Entries Near albatross
Cite this Entry
“Albatross.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/albatross. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
albatross
noun
al·ba·tross
ˈal-bə-ˌtrȯs
-ˌträs
plural albatross or albatrosses
: any of various large web-footed seabirds that are related to the petrels and include the largest birds of the sea
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share