noun
nepenthe
nuh-PEN-thee/nˌɛpˈɛnθi/
A mythical remedy that makes someone forget sorrow.
In the myth, nepenthe makes those who drink it forget their sorrow.
Etymology
“Not” and “grief” name the effect of a potion in the Odyssey that banishes sorrow from the mind. The word thus evokes relief through forgetting trouble.
More examples
- The grieving king asks for nepenthe to erase his sadness.
- She wishes her tea were nepenthe, able to banish every sorrow.
- The poem describes nepenthe as a remedy for grief.
Forms
nepenthe
Similar words
- balm
- Soothes emotional pain without necessarily making people forget their sorrow.