ethereal

adjective

ethe·​re·​al i-ˈthir-ē-əl 

1

a

: of or relating to the regions beyond the earth

b

: celestial, heavenly

c

: unworldly, spiritual

2

a

: lacking material substance : immaterial, intangible

b

: marked by unusual delicacy or refinement

this smallest, most ethereal, and daintiest of birds

—William Beebe

c

: suggesting the heavens or heaven

3

: relating to, containing, or resembling a chemical ether

ethereality

i-ˌthir-ē-ˈa-lə-tē 

noun

etherealization

i-ˌthir-ē-ə-lə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

etherealize

i-ˈthir-ē-ə-ˌlīz 

transitive verb

ethereally

i-ˈthir-ē-ə-lē 

adverb

etherealness noun

Did you know?

If you're burning to know the history of ethereal, you're in the right spirit to fully understand the word's etymology. The ancient Greeks believed that the Earth was composed of earth, air, fire, and water, but that the heavens and its denizens were made of a purer, less tangible substance known (in English transliteration) as either quintessence or ether. Ether was often described as an invisible light or fire; its name comes from the Greek verb aithein, meaning "to ignite" or "to blaze." When ethereal, the adjectival kin of ether, debuted in English in the 1500s, it described regions beyond the Earth or anything that seemed to originate from them.

Synonyms

• spiritual
• incorporeal
• metaphysical
• supernatural
• psychical

Examples of ethereal in a Sentence

The windows give the church an ethereal glow.

that ethereal attribute that every performer should have—charisma

Recent Examples on the Web

Kravitz arrived at a photocall for her new movie, Caught Stealing, in Paris on August 21 looking absolutely ethereal in an lacy, off-white slip dress. —Marci Robin, Allure, 22 Aug. 2025

Stellar turns from Timothée Chalamet, Oscar Isaac, and many more elevate even the simplest scenes into something epic and ethereal. —Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 12 Aug. 2025

Gonzalez is known to paint this ethereal look on the likes of Sabrina Carpenter and Gigi Hadid, though Kendall Jenner, Simone Ashley, Dua Lipa, Lily Rose Depp, and more seem to be watercolor blush enthusiasts, too. —Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 31 July 2025

Meanwhile, Zimmermann and Ralph Lauren raise their boots above the knee and opt for a more feminine interpretation by combining them with elegant, romantic, and ethereal looks. —María Munsuri, Glamour, 27 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1522, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for ethereal

• arterial
• bacterial
• funereal
• imperial
• material
• sidereal
• venereal
• antibacterial
• biomaterial
• mycobacterial
• cereal
• virial

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Kids Definition

ethereal

adjective

ethe·​re·​al i-ˈthir-ē-əl 

1

: of or relating to the heavens : heavenly

2

: being light and airy : delicate

ethereally

-ē-ə-lē 

adverb

etherealness noun

Medical Definition

ethereal

adjective

ethe·​re·​al i-ˈthir-ē-əl 

: relating to, containing, or resembling a chemical ether