noun
orgy
AW-jee
noun
1
A wild, unrestrained party involving heavy drinking, group sex, or general excess.
"The frat house was infamous for its Saturday-night orgies."
"Ancient sources describe drunken orgies held in honor of Dionysus."
2
Loosely, any period of excessive indulgence in some activity.
"The team went on an orgy of spending after winning the lottery."
"The finale was an orgy of violence and special effects."
How to Use Orgy
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA group sex party, or more loosely, a binge of any excessive activity.
Common mistake
"An orgy of X" is a common figurative pattern meaning excessive amounts of X (an orgy of destruction, an orgy of shopping) — it doesn't always mean the literal sense.
Common pairings
an orgy of violence
drunken orgy
go on an orgy of spending
Word Forms
orgies plural
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “orgy”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The team went on an _____ of spending after winning the lottery.
Etymology
From French orgies, from Latin orgia, from Greek órgia, "secret rites" — originally referring to ritual pagan ceremonies before it took on its modern, racier sense.