Associations to the word «Pygmalion»

PYGMALION, noun. One who acts as the legendary Greek sculptor Pygmalion (who was granted the wish of having life given to a sculpture of his which he loved a great deal), as in George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion in which he sometimes refers to his main character (Henry Higgins) as Pygmalion Higgins.

PYGMALION, adjective. Bloody (only in 'not pygmalion likely'), from the sensational, and then scandalous, line "not bloody likely" in George Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion.

PYGMALION EFFECT, noun. The phenomenon whereby the greater the expectation placed upon people, the better they perform.

PYGMALION, noun. (Greek mythology) a king who created a statue of a woman and fell in love with it; Aphrodite brought the sculpture to life as Galatea.