Cerberus
noun /ˈsɜːbərəs/ — The three-headed dog guarding the entrance to the underworld — the fierce guardian at every threshold.
Definition
In Greek mythology, the three-headed dog that guards the entrance to Hades, preventing the dead from leaving and the living from entering; by extension, any fierce guardian or gatekeeper.
Beyond the definition
Cerberus guards the final threshold — the door between the living and the dead. The word has entered the language as any fierce doorkeeper: the person or system that guards access with uncompromising ferocity.
Origin & history
From Greek Kerberos — the watchman of Hades. Etymology uncertain — possibly related to Sanskrit *carbura* (spotted). The guardian's name, stripped of the meaning it only borrowed from its role.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The committee was Cerberus — three people with three different objections, and all three had to be appeased.
She thought of the grant application process as Cerberus: multiple heads, none of them negotiating.
Every underworld has its guardian — and the guardian's job is not to be defeated but to require that you prove you belong.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Cerberus” when the meaning fits your context: In Greek mythology, the three-headed dog that guards the entrance to Hades, preventing the dead from leaving and the living from entering; by extension, any fierce guardian or gatekeeper.
Synonyms
guardian, watchdog, gatekeeper, sentinel
Antonyms
open door, welcome, unguarded entrance
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Guardian statue at a bridge
A weathered stone griffin statue with wings and lion anatomy guards a small bridge in a garden.
The statue serves as a guardian at a threshold. Its presence conceptually mirrors Cerberus, acting as a gatekeeper that prevents movement across a sacred or important divide.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Cerberus" mean?
Cerberus is noun meaning: The three-headed dog guarding the entrance to the underworld — the fierce guardian at every threshold.. In Greek mythology, the three-headed dog that guards the entrance to Hades, preventing the dead from leaving and the living from entering; by extension, any fierce guardian or gatekeeper.
Where does the word "Cerberus" come from?
From Greek Kerberos — the watchman of Hades. Etymology uncertain — possibly related to Sanskrit *carbura* (spotted). The guardian's name, stripped of the meaning it only borrowed from its role.