what is an adonis

Adonis is a figure from Greek mythology who was a beautiful youth loved by both Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, and Persephone, the goddess of the underworld. He was killed by a wild boar while hunting, but Zeus allowed him to spend half the year with Aphrodite and half in the underworld. Today, the term "Adonis" is often used to describe a very handsome man, especially a young one. The word is capitalized when referring to the god from Greek mythology, but can be written with a lowercase "a" when used to describe a handsome man. The story of Adonis is often seen as representing the cycle of nature, with his death and resurrection symbolizing the decay of nature in winter and its revival in spring.