ethereal

adjective

ethe·​re·​al i-ˈthir-ē-əl How to pronounce ethereal (audio)
1
a
: of or relating to the regions beyond the earth
2
a
: lacking material substance : immaterial, intangible
b
: marked by unusual delicacy or refinement
this smallest, most ethereal, and daintiest of birdsWilliam Beebe
c
: suggesting the heavens or heaven
3
: relating to, containing, or resembling a chemical ether
ethereality noun
etherealization noun
etherealize transitive verb
ethereally 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 Fishnets and fluffy socks are complemented by ethereal lace separates and leather. Audra Heinrichs, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2024 Fusing blues and jazz with ethereal folk soundscapes, the musical was unfinished but intoxicating. Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 19 Mar. 2024 As had happened before with Game Neverending, there were some pretty cool spare parts underneath all the ethereal ambitions of Glitch—like the internal messaging system the team had built. John Gravois, WIRED, 18 Mar. 2024 In its West Coast premiere at Berkeley Rep, Jennifer Chang’s lyrical production distills both the terror and the mystery of the Angel Island detention center, framed by Hsuan-Kuang Hsieh’s ethereal projections, standing sentinel at the gateway to the Bay Area for decades. Karen D'souza, The Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2024 The ethereal singer goes minimal on her makeup, but accentuates with a matching bright red lip. Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 22 Mar. 2024 As a recording of the ethereal track plays, the little brown pup stares through the door’s window, looking quite sad that he’s not allowed in the room. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 21 Mar. 2024 That time, her blonde hair was let down in loose waves with a glowy makeup look to match her ethereal vibes. Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 21 Mar. 2024 With O’Connell on piano, Eilish moved the audience with her signature ethereal vocals. Thania Garcia, Variety, 11 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ethereal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1522, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of ethereal was in 1522

Dictionary Entries Near ethereal

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

ethereal

adjective
ethe·​re·​al i-ˈthir-ē-əl How to pronounce ethereal (audio)
1
: of or relating to the heavens : heavenly
2
: being light and airy : delicate
ethereally adverb
etherealness noun

Medical Definition

ethereal

adjective
ethe·​re·​al i-ˈthir-ē-əl How to pronounce ethereal (audio)
: relating to, containing, or resembling a chemical ether

More from Merriam-Webster on ethereal

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