A saga is a long story, account, or sequence of events.
...a 600-page saga about 18th-century slavery.
...the continuing saga of unexpected failures by leading companies. [+ of]
2. countable noun
A saga is a long story composed in medieval times in Norway or Iceland.
...a Nordic saga of giants and trolls. [+ of]
Synonyms: epic, story, tale, legend More Synonyms of saga
More Synonyms of saga
saga in British English
(ˈsɑːɡə)
noun
1.
any of several medieval prose narratives written in Iceland and recounting the exploits of a hero or a family
2.
any similar heroic narrative
3. Also called: saga novel
a series of novels about several generations or members of a family
4.
any other artistic production said to resemble a saga
5. informal
a series of events or a story stretching over a long period
Word origin
C18: from Old Norse: a narrative; related to Old English secgan to say1
saga in American English
(ˈsɑgə)
noun
1.
a medieval Scandinavian story of battles, customs, and legends, narrated in prose and generally telling the traditional history of an important Norse family
2.
any long story of adventure or heroic deeds
3.
roman-fleuve
: in full saga novel
Word origin
ON, thing said, tale, story, akin to OE sagu (> saw2): see say
Examples of 'saga' in a sentence
saga
The family sagas in this vast canvas are of scarcely believable tenacity and endurance.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
This saga has a long way to run.
The Sun (2013)
So now you can put this sorry saga behind you.
The Sun (2012)
We know the whole saga is a joke and we are going to laugh at you.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
It is one chapter in a long saga.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The whole sordid saga has traumatised me.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
How much longer is this saga going to continue?
The Sun (2008)
But where has been the leadership in this whole sorry saga?
The Sun (2007)
The whole saga spans thousands of miles.
Jackson, Rosie Mothers who Leave (1994)
The regulation saga has a long way to run.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
This is a good old-fashioned family saga.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
There are so many twists and turns in this medieval saga, you practically get whiplash watching it.
The Sun (2013)
The terrible vengeance of the thwarted father is like a medieval saga but it is playing out in modern London.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Still, the timing of this transfer saga could have been a lot worse for United.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
It may be an unusual family saga, but it's a very loving one.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
I. Fry - the problem is that the third story in this saga concerns a rather messy subject.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
This is the first week where the medieval saga doesn't revolve around a brutal battle to overthrow the King.
The Sun (2013)
In other languages
saga
British English: saga NOUN
A saga is a long story, account, or sequence of events.
...a 600-page saga about 18th-century explorers.
American English: saga
Brazilian Portuguese: saga
Chinese: 长篇故事
European Spanish: saga
French: saga
German: Saga
Italian: saga
Japanese: 長編歴史物語
Korean: 긴 이야기
European Portuguese: saga
Latin American Spanish: saga
1 (noun)
Definition
a long story or series of events
I'll tell you the whole saga of how I got the part.
Synonyms
carry-on (informal)
to-do
Just like him to make such a to-do about it.
performance (informal)
She made a big performance of cooking the dinner.
rigmarole
Then the whole rigmarole starts over again!
soap opera
pantomime (informal)
chain of events
catalogue of disasters
2 (noun)
Definition
a medieval Scandinavian legend telling the adventures of a hero or a family
a Nordic saga of giants and trolls
Synonyms
epic
the Anglo-Saxon epic, `Beowulf'
story
a popular love story with a happy ending
tale
a collection of poems and folk tales
legend
the legends of ancient Greece
adventure
romance
Her taste in fiction was for historical romances.
narrative
He began his narrative with the day of the murder.
chronicle
this vast chronicle of Napoleonic times
yarn (informal)
Doug has a yarn or two to tell me about his trips into the bush.
fairy tale
She was like a princess in a fairy tale.
folk tale
roman-fleuve (French)
Additional synonyms
in the sense of chronicle
Definition
a record of events in chronological order
this vast chronicle of Napoleonic times
Synonyms
record,
story,
history,
account,
register,
journal,
diary,
narrative,
annals,
log,
blog
in the sense of fairy tale
Definition
a story about fairies or magical events
She was like a princess in a fairy tale.
Synonyms
folk tale,
romance,
traditional story
in the sense of legend
Definition
a popular story handed down from earlier times which may or may not be true
the legends of ancient Greece
Synonyms
myth,
story,
tale,
fiction,
narrative,
saga,
fable,
folk tale,
urban myth,
urban legend,
folk story
Nearby words of
saga
safely
safety
sag
saga
sagacious
sagacity
sage
Synonyms of 'saga'
saga
Explore 'saga' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of narrative
Definition
an account of events
He began his narrative with the day of the murder.
Synonyms
story,
report,
history,
detail,
account,
statement,
tale,
chronicle,
recital
in the sense of performance
Definition
conduct or behaviour, esp. when distasteful
She made a big performance of cooking the dinner.
Synonyms
carry-on (informal, British),
business,
to-do,
act,
scene,
display,
bother,
fuss,
pantomime (informal, British),
song and dance (informal),
palaver,
rigmarole,
pother (literary)
in the sense of rigmarole
Definition
a long complicated procedure
Then the whole rigmarole starts over again!
Synonyms
procedure,
to-do,
performance (informal),
bother,
carry-on (informal, British),
nonsense,
fuss,
hassle (informal),
red tape,
pantomime (informal),
palaver
in the sense of romance
Definition
a story or film dealing with love, usually in an idealized way
Her taste in fiction was for historical romances.
Synonyms
story,
novel,
tale,
fantasy,
legend,
fiction,
fairy tale,
love story,
melodrama,
idyll,
tear-jerker (informal)
in the sense of story
Definition
a piece of fiction, shorter and usually less detailed than a novel
a popular love story with a happy ending
Synonyms
tale,
romance,
narrative,
record,
history,
version,
novel,
legend,
chronicle,
yarn (informal),
recital,
narration,
urban myth,
urban legend,
fictional account
in the sense of tale
Definition
a report, account, or story
a collection of poems and folk tales
Synonyms
story,
narrative,
anecdote,
account,
relation,
novel,
legend,
fiction,
romance,
saga,
short story,
yarn (informal),
fable,
narration,
conte,
spiel (informal),
urban myth,
urban legend
in the sense of to-do
Definition
a commotion, fuss, or quarrel
Just like him to make such a to-do about it.
Synonyms
fuss,
performance (informal),
disturbance,
bother,
stir,
turmoil,
unrest,
flap (informal),
quarrel,
upheaval,
bustle,
furore,
uproar,
agitation,
commotion,
rumpus,
tumult,
brouhaha,
ruction (informal),
hue and cry,
hoo-ha
in the sense of yarn
Definition
a long involved story
Doug has a yarn or two to tell me about his trips into the bush.