ensky

verb

en·​sky in-ˈskī How to pronounce ensky (audio)
en-
enskied; enskying; enskies

transitive verb

: exalt
I hold you as a thing enskied and saintedWilliam Shakespeare

Did you know?

Someone who has been enskied has been raised, figuratively, as high as the sky. The en- prefix indicates putting something or someone into or on whatever the second part of the word indicates-in this case, the sky. Lots of words have been formed this way; some of them are quite familiar (enthrone, entrap), whereas others are as high-flown as ensky. Enisle, for example, means "to put someone on an island," or, figuratively, "to isolate someone." Enwomb means "to shut one up as if in a womb." The very first, and most famous, use of ensky occurs in Shakespeare's Measure for Measure, when Lucio tells Isabella, a novice in a convent, "I hold you as a thing enskied and sainted."

Examples of ensky in a Sentence

a society that seems to have enskied celebrity as an end in itself

Word History

First Known Use

1603, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ensky was in 1603

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near ensky

Cite this Entry

“Ensky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ensky. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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