Charybdis

noun

Cha·​ryb·​dis kə-ˈrib-dəs 

 also  shə-,

 or  chə-

: a whirlpool off the coast of Sicily personified in Greek mythology as a female monster compare scylla

Did you know?

The Strait of Messina is the narrow passage between the island of Sicily and the "toe" of Italy's "boot". In Greek mythology, two monsters hovered on either side of the strait. Scylla, a female monster with six snake-like heads, each with pointed teeth, barked like a dog from the rocks on the Italian side. Charybdis, on the Sicilian side, caused a whirlpool by swallowing the waters of the sea three times a day. When Odysseus attempted to sail between them, he encountered disaster on both sides. Being caught between Scylla and Charybdis is a lot like being between a rock and a hard place.

Examples of Charybdis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Russia is thus trapped between the Scylla of systemic decay and the Charybdis of systemic stasis. —Alexander J. Motyl, Foreign Affairs, 27 Jan. 2016

The Harford board would stifle a cross-pollination of ideas in the classrooms, disrespecting the intelligence of students, both white and minority, and the wisdom of their teachers who would be able to navigate them between the Scylla of racial divisions and Charybdis of racial politics. —Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 5 July 2024

The Charybdis’ first project will be Dominion’s offshore wind farm under development 24 miles east of Virginia Beach. —Brian Cheung, NBC News, 30 June 2024

Trump will likely navigate between the Scylla of wanting to stay out of jail and the Charybdis of performing for his base. —Dennis Aftergut, New York Daily News, 10 June 2024

The construction of Charybdis was originally scheduled to be completed in late 2023, but the vessel was only launched into the water last month. —Greg Smith, Hartford Courant, 27 May 2024

While originally planned for completion in 2023, labor constraints have pushed the Charybdis’s launch back at least a year, possibly into 2025, says Dominion Energy, the vessel’s owner. —Matt Simon, WIRED, 3 Feb. 2024

Named after a mythical sea monster, the Charybdis will be the first vessel allowed to pick up turbine parts from U.S. ports, haul them into the ocean and construct skyscraper-sized windmills. —David Uberti, WSJ, 14 Dec. 2023

Dominion is trying to remove some of the uncertainty with its new ship, Charybdis, which is named for a mythical Greek sea monster. —Brad Plumer, New York Times, 11 Dec. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing Charybdis

• between Scylla and Charybdis