ethereal

adjective

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ethe·re·al | \ i-ˈthir-ē-əl

Definition of ethereal

1a : of or relating to the regions beyond the earth

b : celestial, heavenly

c : unworldly, spiritual

2a : 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

Other Words from ethereal Synonyms & Antonyms Did you know? Example Sentences Learn More About ethereal

Other Words from ethereal

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 that 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 as either ether or quintessence. Ether was often described as an invisible light or fire, and its name derives from the Greek aithein, a verb meaning "to ignite" or "to blaze." When ethereal, the adjectival kin of ether, debuted in English in the 1500s, it referred to regions beyond the Earth or anything that seemed to originate from there.

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 Slightly odd and ethereal covers of contemporary pop hits serve both to bridge the gap between centuries and to remind us ironically how different things were. — Kyle Smith, WSJ, 22 Sep. 2022 This dessert Tomo is honeyed and ethereal thanks to beeswax steeped in cream that is then aerated into a delicate foam. — Sunset Magazine, 21 Apr. 2022 Still, when images and videos of people paddling and swimming in its seemingly ethereal waters first popped on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook in 2020, the canal went viral. — Julie Jag, The Salt Lake Tribune, 19 Sep. 2022 Chloe is known to embody a feminine bad-ass that embraces her curves through her sultry fashion sense, while Halle also channels similar energy, but with a more ethereal approach. — Greg Emmanuel, Essence, 22 Aug. 2022 These pathways in Williams’s vision are liberating and have a twangy, ethereal sound to the memories that are forged here — and fade away. — Washington Post, 9 Feb. 2022 Using a series of finely detailed vignettes, O’Connor renders an ethereal portrait of the young writer. — Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Sep. 2022 The floor-length piece was sleeveless, and featured an ethereal, abstract print in vibrant reds, oranges, yellows, pinks, grays, and blues. — Rosa Sanchez, Harper's BAZAAR, 2 Sep. 2022 At the 2011 Met Gala, Williams arrived in an ethereal floor-length feathered Oscar de la Renta gown and fascinator. — Leah Dolan, CNN, 31 Aug. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ethereal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.