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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
Laysan albatross nest on land but spend long stretches at sea, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
—Sara Schilling, Sacramento Bee, 7 Feb. 2025
Skipping Medical Care Due To Medical Debt The medical debt albatross can lead to other problems, too.
—Next Avenue, Forbes, 27 Jan. 2025
The show’s premise is simple: Each season, conservation rangers select an albatross couple to be the stars.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 14 Jan. 2025
With Laysan albatrosses flying up to 50,000 miles per year as an adult, Wisdom would have flown multiple round trips to the moon by her age, according to USFWS.
—Chris Lau, CNN, 5 Dec. 2024
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Sara Schilling, Sacramento Bee, 7 Feb. 2025
Skipping Medical Care Due To Medical Debt The medical debt albatross can lead to other problems, too.
—Next Avenue, Forbes, 27 Jan. 2025
The show’s premise is simple: Each season, conservation rangers select an albatross couple to be the stars.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 14 Jan. 2025
With Laysan albatrosses flying up to 50,000 miles per year as an adult, Wisdom would have flown multiple round trips to the moon by her age, according to USFWS.
—Chris Lau, CNN, 5 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for albatross
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Dictionary Entries Near albatross
Cite this Entry
“Albatross.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/albatross. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
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
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