ode

1 of 2

noun

ˈōd 

plural odes

1

: a lyric poem usually marked by exaltation of feeling and style, varying length of line, and complexity of stanza forms

Keats's ode "To a Nightingale"

2

: something that shows respect for or celebrates the worth or influence of another : homage

The museum would be an ode to visual storytelling, drawn from the director's collection of film ephemera and fine art.

—Chanan Tigay

The recipe is an ode to my homeland, Vietnam, and I'd like to share it with my new friends in America.

—Gourmet

odist

ˈō-dist 

noun

-ode

2 of 2

noun combining form

1

: way : path

electrode

2

: electrode

diode

Examples of ode in a Sentence

Noun

This poem is titled, “An Ode to My Mother.”

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Alongside the younger performers, Jacobson includes cameos from elder statesmen like the writer Richard Price, whose 2008 novel Lush Life was an ode to the Lower East Side, and Oscar-winning screenwriter Eric Roth (Forrest Gump, Dune), who spends the whole movie on a bed watching reruns of Kung Fu. —Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2025

The collection was a contemporary ode to classic elegance and a tribute to a storied brand. —Laia Farran Graves, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025

Filmed through the prism of grief, documentary ‘Almudena’ is director Azucena Rodriguez’s ode to one of Spain’s renowned writers who was also a dear friend. —Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 11 Mar. 2025

The song, which will be included in her upcoming Broadway musical, is an ode to Dean's foundation of love that enabled Parton to reach worldwide stardom. —Axios Nashville, Axios, 10 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle French or Late Latin; Middle French, from Late Latin, from Greek ōidē, literally, song, from aeidein, aidein to sing; akin to Greek audē voice

Noun combining form

Greek -odos, from hodos

First Known Use

Noun

1538, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for ode

• blowed
• bode
• code
• crowed
• flowed
• glowed
• goad
• growed
• knowed
• load
• lode
• lowed

Kids Definition

ode

1 of 2 noun

ˈōd 

: a lyric poem that expresses a noble feeling with dignity

-ode

2 of 2 noun combining form

ˌōd

1

: way : path

electrode

2

: electrode

diode

Etymology

Noun combining form

derived from Greek hodos "way, path"