laokoon
Very LowLiterary/Academic
Definition
Meaning
A figure from Greek mythology, a Trojan priest who was strangled by sea serpents along with his two sons after warning the Trojans not to accept the Trojan Horse.
A symbol of futile struggle, suffering, or prophetic warning that goes unheeded, often leading to a tragic fate. Also refers to a famous ancient marble sculpture depicting this event.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The term is highly specific and used almost exclusively in contexts of classical literature, art history, or as an allusion in rhetoric to describe a doomed struggle or ignored warning.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. Spelling (Laocoön with dieresis) is standard in both, though often simplified to 'Laocoon'.
Connotations
Identical—scholarly, classical, tragic.
Frequency
Equally rare in both dialects.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
Refer to Laocoön as a [symbol of X]Compare the situation to Laocoön'sVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A Laocoön struggle (a desperate and ultimately futile effort)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used in Classics, Art History, Literature to discuss the myth or the Hellenistic sculpture.
Everyday
Extremely rare; used only in educated allusions.
Technical
Specific to art historical descriptions (e.g., 'the Laocoön group in the Vatican').
Examples
By Part of Speech
adjective
British English
- The painting had a Laocoön-like intensity.
American English
- He was engaged in a Laocoön-esque battle with bureaucracy.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- We saw a picture of Laocoön in our history book.
- The politician's Laocoön-like warnings about the economy were ignored.
- The Hellenistic sculpture of Laocoön epitomises the aesthetic of pathos and heroic failure.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think 'Lay-OCK-oh-on': A priest LAY warning, then was OCK'd (choked) by snakes ON the shore.
Conceptual Metaphor
STRUGGLE IS LAOCOÖN'S STRANGULATION.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with similar-sounding Russian words. It is a proper name, not a common noun.
Common Mistakes
- Misspelling as 'Laocoon' (without dieresis)
- Mispronouncing the 'c' as /k/ instead of /kəʊ/
- Using it as a common noun instead of a proper name.
Practice
Quiz
What does 'Laocoön' primarily symbolise in modern allusion?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Laocoön was a mortal Trojan priest, not a god.
In Virgil's Aeneid, he was killed by sea serpents sent by the gods (Minerva/Athena or Poseidon) for violating sacred ground or for trying to expose the Greek trick of the Trojan Horse.
The original Hellenistic sculpture, the 'Laocoön Group', is in the Vatican Museums in Rome.
In British English: /leɪˈɒkəʊɒn/ (lay-OCK-oh-on). In American English: /leɪˈɑːkoʊˌɑːn/ (lay-AH-koh-ahn).