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albatross
noun
al·ba·tross
ˈal-bə-ˌtrȯs 
-ˌträs
plural albatross or albatrosses
1
: any of a family (Diomedeidae) of large web-footed seabirds that have long slender wings, are excellent gliders, and include the largest seabirds
2
a
: something that causes persistent deep concern or anxiety
b
: something that greatly hinders accomplishment : encumbrance
Fame has become an albatross that prevents her from leading a normal life.
3
chiefly British, golf
: a score of three under par made on a hole : double eagle
The first play-off at Augusta followed the most famous single stroke in Masters history, Sarazen's albatross, or double eagle as the Americans prefer to describe such accidents of fortune, at the 15th.—
P. A. Ward-Thomas
P. A. Ward-Thomas
Did you know?
Why is albatross used to refer to a burden?
The albatross is an exceedingly large seabird, having a wingspan as much as 11 feet across. It is a magnificent glider, capable of staying aloft for hours at a time without flapping its wings, and tends to remain almost entirely at sea, typically coming ashore only to breed.
In Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s 1798 poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, the titular mariner kills an albatross that has been following his ship, bringing down a curse that leads to the death of all other crew members. As a punishment, the crew hang the dead bird from the mariner’s neck, and he remains alive to witness the ship’s fate unfold. This potent emblem led to the coining of a metaphorical meaning for albatross as something that causes anxiety or guilt or that burdens and encumbers.
Examples of albatross in a Sentence
Fame has become an albatross that prevents her from leading a normal and happy life.
Fame has become an albatross around her neck.
Recent Examples on the Web
Every Lost character had an albatross: Jack struggled with a savior complex; Kate had to overcome her vigilante past.
—Rebecca Bodenheimer, The Atlantic, 30 Sep. 2024
Jim Allen MacArthur Park Time to go fishing The Angels are like an albatross hung around the neck of Mike Trout.
—Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2024
Fubo and the court seem to view the big bundle of news and entertainment networks as more of an albatross than a desirable consumer product.
—Howard Homonoff, Forbes, 18 Sep. 2024
Many would have seen the sad sea turtle with a straw embedded deep into its nostril, or the albatross chicks having been fed bottle caps and cigarette lighters by their unknowing parents.
—New Atlas, 17 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for albatross 
Rebecca Bodenheimer, The Atlantic, 30 Sep. 2024
Jim Allen MacArthur Park Time to go fishing The Angels are like an albatross hung around the neck of Mike Trout.
—Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2024
Fubo and the court seem to view the big bundle of news and entertainment networks as more of an albatross than a desirable consumer product.
—Howard Homonoff, Forbes, 18 Sep. 2024
Many would have seen the sad sea turtle with a straw embedded deep into its nostril, or the albatross chicks having been fed bottle caps and cigarette lighters by their unknowing parents.
—New Atlas, 17 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for albatross
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'albatross.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Albatross.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/albatross. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
albatross
noun
al·ba·tross
ˈal-bə-ˌtrȯs
-ˌträs
plural albatross or albatrosses
: any of various large web-footed seabirds that are related to the petrels and include the largest birds of the sea
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