naiad

noun

na·​iad ˈnā-əd How to pronounce naiad (audio)
ˈnī-, 
-ˌad How to pronounce naiad (audio)
plural naiads or naiades ˈnā-ə-ˌdēz How to pronounce naiad (audio)
ˈnī-
Synonyms of naiad
1
: any of the nymphs in classical mythology living in and giving life to lakes, rivers, springs, and fountains
2
: an aquatic insect nymph (as of a mayfly, dragonfly, damselfly, or stone fly)
3
: any of a genus (Najas of the family Hydrocharitaceae) of submerged aquatic plants

Synonyms of naiad

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of naiad in a Sentence

in Greek mythology, naiads supposedly drowned the young men with whom they became enamored students in science class learning how to distinguish a dragonfly naiad from an earthworm
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.
Leighton set his youthful figure — a classical nymph or naiad — in a Mediterranean setting. — Washington Post, 12 Oct. 2022 Today, the naiads frolic in water that is periodically drained for cleaning and maintenance. — David Laskin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French naïade, from Latin naiad-, naias, from Greek, from nan to flow — more at nourish

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of naiad was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

NAIA
naiad
Naiadaceae
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Naiad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/naiad. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

naiad

noun
na·​iad ˈnā-əd How to pronounce naiad (audio) ˈnī- How to pronounce naiad (audio)
-ˌad
plural naiads or naiades -ə-ˌdēz How to pronounce naiad (audio)
1
: one of the nymphs living in lakes, rivers, springs, and fountains
2
: a water-dwelling larva of some insects (as a mayfly, dragonfly, damselfly, or stone fly)

More from Merriam-Webster on naiad

Nglish: Translation of naiad for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All