An epithet is a descriptive word or phrase used to characterize someone or something, often highlighting a notable quality. In ancient stories, heroes often had epithets attached to their names: “swift-footed Achilles” or “Odysseus the cunning.” These phrases told you something important about the person every time you heard their name.

Epithets can be positive, like calling Abraham Lincoln “Honest Abe,” or negative, like the mean nicknames bullies use. In writing and poetry, authors use epithets to create vivid images: instead of just saying “the ocean,” Homer wrote “the wine-dark sea.”

Teachers sometimes use epithets when they describe historical figures: “Alexander the Great” or “Catherine the Great.” These names stuck because the epithets captured something essential about who these people were.

When an epithet becomes the main way people refer to someone, it can actually replace their regular name. Richard I of England is almost always called “Richard the Lionheart,” and most people have forgotten that notorious pirate Edward Teach was better known by his epithet, “Blackbeard.”