pagan
gb/pˈeɪɡən/ us/pˈeɪɡən/
C1
Anglais
~ 8300
Sens
0 sens
Nom
C1
entity
1
follower of a pagan religion
A person who follows a religion that is not Christian, Jewish, or Muslim, especially an old or nature-based religion with many gods.
Schéma d’usage :
to call [someone] a pagan
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse 'pagan' with 'peasant' because they look similar, but 'peasant' means a poor farmer, not a religious follower. Another mistake is using 'pagan' casually for any non-religious person; many people who call themselves pagans follow specific spiritual traditions, so the word can be sensitive or offensive if misused.
Synonymes
polytheist (More technical and specific; focuses on belief in many gods, without the cultural or historical overtones of 'pagan'.)
|
heathen (Often old-fashioned or offensive; stresses being outside Christian faith and can imply ignorance or disrespect.)
Antonymes
Christian (Names a follower of Christianity, which is one of the main monotheistic religions that 'pagan' is typically contrasted with.)
Collocations
ancient pagans
|modern pagans
|pagan community
|pagan religion
|pagan beliefs
|pagan worship
Thèmes
religion
|history
|culture
Exemples
- Many modern pagans celebrate the cycles of the seasons with outdoor rituals.
- The village was originally home to pagans who worshipped several local gods.
- She identifies as a pagan and practices a nature-based spiritual path.
- Some ancient pagans in Europe worshipped the sun and the moon.
- The festival attracts pagans from all over the country.
Exemples pédagogiques
- Her friend is a pagan who likes old nature religions.
- In history class, we read about pagans in ancient Rome.
- Some pagans pray to many gods.
- He met a group of pagans at a summer festival.
adjective
C1
property
2
relating to pagan religions
About a religion or culture that is not Christian, Jewish, or Muslim, especially old or nature-based religions with many gods.
Schéma d’usage :
a pagan [ritual/festival/religion/god]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may think 'pagan' as an adjective always means something bad or immoral. In many modern and academic contexts, it is neutral and simply describes a type of religion or culture. It should not be used as a general word for 'bad' or 'uncivilized'.
Synonymes
polytheistic (Technical and narrower; focuses specifically on belief in many gods and is less about culture or history.)
|
pre-Christian (Historical; refers to the time before Christianity, often overlapping with 'pagan' but limited to that period.)
Antonymes
Christian (Describes things related to Christianity, which pagan beliefs and practices are often contrasted with historically.)
Collocations
pagan religion
|pagan gods
|pagan rituals
|pagan temple
|pagan traditions
|pagan festival
Thèmes
religion
|history
|culture
Exemples
- The museum has a special exhibit on pagan art from ancient Europe.
- They held a pagan ceremony to mark the spring equinox.
- Her novel features a village that still follows pagan customs.
- The site was once a pagan temple before it became a church.
- He is researching pagan myths from the Baltic region.
Exemples pédagogiques
- We studied pagan temples in our history class.
- The story is about a pagan god of the forest.
- They celebrate old pagan festivals in that town.
- She wore symbols from her pagan religion.
Nom
informal
C1
entity
3
irreligious, pleasure-focused person
A person who does not care about religion and enjoys food, drink, or fun a lot, often said in a joking or critical way.
Schéma d’usage :
to call [someone] a pagan for [enjoying something]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may not realize this use is often humorous or lightly negative and may use it very seriously, which can sound rude. It should not be used as a neutral word for anyone who is not religious; 'nonreligious' or 'atheist' are better in careful or respectful speech.
Synonymes
hedonist (More formal and focused on the idea that pleasure is a main goal in life; lacks the specific religious reference of 'pagan'.)
|
nonbeliever (Focuses on lack of religious faith, without necessarily suggesting a love of physical pleasure or fun.)
Antonymes
devout (Describes someone who is very serious and committed about their religious faith, the opposite of the carefree, irreligious attitude suggested here.)
Collocations
such a pagan
|a total pagan
|a little pagan
|party pagan
|pagan at heart
Thèmes
religion
|character
|informal
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- She laughed and called herself a pagan for never going to church and loving wild parties.
- He joked that he was a pagan because all he cared about on holidays was the food and the gifts.
- My uncle is a bit of a pagan, more interested in wine and music than in religion.
- They teasingly referred to their friend as a pagan when he skipped the religious service to sleep in.
- In her family, anyone who misses the big religious festival is half-jokingly labeled a pagan.
Exemples pédagogiques
- He says he is a pagan because he likes food and drink more than church.
- She calls her brother a pagan when he stays home on religious holidays.
- My friends are pagans; they do not go to any church or temple.
- He laughs and says, "I am a pagan, I only care about the party!"
Grammaire
Forme canonique
pagan
API
GB/pˈeɪɡən/
US/pˈeɪɡən/
Syllabes et accentuation
pa - gan (2 syllabes)
Stress on 1st syllable (pa)
Formes du mot
Adjective
- Base: pagan
Noun
- Base: pagan
- Plural: pagans
Famille de mots
Forms
pagans
noun
Core family
paganism
noun
Advanced or less common
paganize
verb
Expressions
Aucune expression n’est encore associée à cette entrée.