Lethe

[lee-thee]

noun

1. Classical Mythology.,  a river in Hades whose water caused forgetfulness of the past in those who drank of it.

2. (usually lowercase),  forgetfulness; oblivion.

Lethe

/ ˈliːθɪ, lɪˈθiːən /

noun

1. Greek myth a river in Hades that caused forgetfulness in those who drank its waters

2. forgetfulness

Lethe

1. In classical mythology, a river flowing through Hades. The souls of the dead were forced to drink of its waters, which made them forget what they had done, said, and suffered when they were alive.

Other Word Forms

• Lethean adjective
• Lethied adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Lethe¹

< Latin < Greek, special use of lḗthē forgetfulness, akin to lanthánesthai to forget

Word History and Origins

Origin of Lethe¹

C16: via Latin from Greek, from lēthē oblivion

Example Sentences

So John Gradus is a journeyer in his own right, learning where he went wrong in life to reach the Lethe and reincarnate.

From Los Angeles Times

Was the water of the Styx flowing beneath his fingers, or maybe the Lethe?

From Literature

The underground pool bears echoes of Lethe, the river of forgetfulness in the classical Greek underworld of Hades.

From New York Times

The only sound comes from the gently flowing stream of Lethe, the river of forgetfulness, where the waters murmuring entice to sleep.

From Literature

The newest recruit to Lethe is Galaxy Stern, who has a very troubled past and, relatedly, has the rare and quite awful ability to see ghosts.

From New York Times

Related Words

• inattention