Minotaur
noun /ˈmaɪnətɔːr/ — The monster at the center of the maze — half human, half bull, and entirely the product of the king's shame.
Definition
In Greek mythology, a creature with the head of a bull and the body of a man, kept in the labyrinth of Crete and fed on young men and women; by extension, any monstrous figure at the heart of an inescapable system.
Beyond the definition
The Minotaur is a metaphor for the thing you've been avoiding at the center of the thing you've been unable to escape. Every labyrinth contains one. The courage of Theseus is the decision to go toward it rather than keep circling.
Origin & history
From Greek Minotauros — Bull of Minos (Minōs: King of Crete + tauros: bull). The king's secret shame made monstrous, hidden in a structure designed to keep it from view.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
She'd been avoiding the conversation for months — but every path through her labyrinth led back to the same Minotaur.
Every institution has its Minotaur: the thing at the center it feeds but never mentions.
The myth of the Minotaur is a myth about what happens to what is hidden rather than confronted.
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 “Minotaur” when the meaning fits your context: In Greek mythology, a creature with the head of a bull and the body of a man, kept in the labyrinth of Crete and fed on young men and women; by extension, any monstrous figure at the heart of an inescapable system.
Synonyms
monster, hybrid creature, dread figure
Antonyms
guide, protector
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 at the maze entrance
An adult stands before a complex, stone-walled maze, with an imposing, dark guardian figure at the entrance.
The figure at the entrance of the labyrinth serves as a conceptual analogy for the Minotaur, representing a monstrous challenge at the center of an inescapable, complex system.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Minotaur" mean?
Minotaur is noun meaning: The monster at the center of the maze — half human, half bull, and entirely the product of the king's shame.. In Greek mythology, a creature with the head of a bull and the body of a man, kept in the labyrinth of Crete and fed on young men and women; by extension, any monstrous figure at the heart of an inescapable system.
Where does the word "Minotaur" come from?
From Greek Minotauros — Bull of Minos (Minōs: King of Crete + tauros: bull). The king's secret shame made monstrous, hidden in a structure designed to keep it from view.