"The lizard dares to face the hydra." is like "Someone is attacking an ash tree with a sickle," one of our friends tells us.
Source: tatoeba (8232040)
Hydra
/ˈhaɪdɹə/
Synonyms for "hydra" (21 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: big dipper, constellation, creature, dragon, freshwater polyp.
- Sentence evidence is available for hydra, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from derived_reverse, opengloss, wordnet.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "hydra".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "hydra"
Keep "hydra" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "hydra" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "hydra", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "hydra" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
10 entriesMore specific
5 entriesHydra magnipapillataHydra viridissimaHydra vulgarisLernaean Hydrahydra headed problem
Collocations
6 entriesLernaean Hydrafreshwater hydrafreshwater polyphydra headhydrozoan organismregenerative hydra
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
1 entriesTranslations
28 translations across 23 languages.
Albanian
3 entries- kuçedër name (mythical serpent)
- lubi name (mythical serpent)
- shkërbadër name (mythical serpent)
Ancient Greek
1 entries- ὕδρα name (mythical serpent)
Chinese Mandarin
3 entries- 九頭蛇 /九头蛇 name (mythical serpent)
- 海德拉 name (mythical serpent)
- 許德拉 /许德拉 name (mythical serpent)
Czech
1 entries- Hydra name (mythical serpent)
Danish
1 entries- Hydra name (mythical serpent)
Esperanto
1 entries- hidro name (mythical serpent)
Finnish
1 entries- Hydra name (mythical serpent)
French
1 entries- Hydre de Lerne name (mythical serpent)
Galician
1 entries- Hidra name (mythical serpent)
German
1 entries- Hydra name (mythical serpent)
Greek
1 entries- Λερναία Ύδρα name (mythical serpent)
Greenlandic
1 entries- Hydra name (mythical serpent)
Inuktitut
1 entries- ᐦᐄᑦᕋ name (mythical serpent)
Irish
1 entries- Hydra name (mythical serpent)
Italian
1 entries- Idra di Lerna name (mythical serpent)
Japanese
1 entries- ヒュドラー name (mythical serpent)
Latin
1 entries- hydra name (mythical serpent)
Marathi
1 entries- हायड्रा name (mythical serpent)
Polish
1 entries- Hydra name (mythical serpent)
Portuguese
2 entries- Hidra name (mythical serpent)
- Hidra de Lerna name (mythical serpent)
Russian
1 entries- Лерне́йская ги́дра name (mythical serpent)
Spanish
1 entries- Hidra de Lerna name (mythical serpent)
Telugu
1 entries- హైడ్రా name (mythical serpent)
Sample sentences
7 total sentences available.
"The lizard dares to face the hydra" means something like "Someone is attacking a mountain with a hoe", says another of our friends.
Source: tatoeba (8232179)
"The lizard dares to face the hydra" means something like "His opponent is too strong for him to face."
Source: tatoeba (8239356)
Hydra is one of the most affluent neighborhoods in Algiers.
Source: tatoeba (11409532)
Showing 4 of 7 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "hydra"?
Closest matches include big dipper, constellation, creature, dragon, freshwater polyp.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "hydra"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.