ETHEREAL Synonyms: 112 Similar and Opposite Words

ethereal

adjective

i-ˈthir-ē-əl

Definition of ethereal

as in spiritual

not composed of matter that ethereal attribute that every performer should have—charisma

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in fluffy

resembling air in lightness the bakery's scrumptious pastries have a wonderfully ethereal consistency

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in celestial

of, relating to, or suggesting heaven described as a land of ethereal beauty and tranquility

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of ethereal When Kit takes her whole family out onto the lawn of her uncle’s country home to watch Halley’s Comet, Gharavi’s camera spins around the night skies and Simon Goff’s ethereal score soars. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026 Looking down from the steep glass enclosure wrapping the ethereal oculus is like peering down from a cliff. — Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026 Nicole Kidman’s strawberry blonde is the perfect example— ethereal and timeless. — Kat Suico, InStyle, 2 Sep. 2026 In a flash, she was sucked upward, through the light and into an ethereal room without borders. — Michael Collins, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ethereal

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ethereal

Adjective

In the years since grit’s heyday, much of American culture has succumbed to a state of emotional and spiritual defeat.

— Meghan O’Gieblyn, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
Leadership continuously draws from a finite reserve of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual energy.

— Dennis Volpe, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of spiritual

Adjective

Even fluffy Alana looks at him strangely — in heat and vicious.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026
That red coat Swift strutted into Arrowhead a few days before Christmas in 2024 for the Chiefs-Texans game in a statement-making, cherry red faux fur and suede coat with fluffy cuffs and collar by British label Charlotte Simone.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of fluffy

Adjective

Sidereal time, also called celestial time, is slightly less than 24 hours (23 hours, 56 minutes, and four seconds).

— Carol Besler, Robb Report, 10 Sep. 2026
Even so, the few that are detectable could offer insight into how different celestial objects—from black holes to galaxies—form.

— Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of celestial

Adjective

Followers of the Abrahamic religions are supposed to treat God as immaterial and incorporeal, yet these early Yahweh worshippers imagined him as fully embodied.

— Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2026
Positioned as a large-scale genre event, the series updates the legendary SFX property with a contemporary political and social edge, with Shun Oguri leading the cast as a detective hunting a seemingly incorporeal killer.

— Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 27 Jan. 2026

Definition of incorporeal

Adjective

Set on the edge of the Village of Lindos, the heavenly parcel and its glass-like waters are nearly encased by rocks with stretches of smooth sand on either side.

— Jennifer Tzeses, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Sep. 2026
Eleven years before that, Super Bowl XLIX gave us an all-time finish, from Jermaine Kearse’s heavenly juggle to Malcolm Butler’s fateful pick at the goal line.

— Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of heavenly

Adjective

For decades, metaphysical stores and botanicas have sold religious items and offered spiritual cleansings and readings in spite of stigmatization and gentrification.

— Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2026
Eddy has been spared the worst violence; the novel casts his racial privilege as a kind of metaphysical exemption.

— Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of metaphysical

Adjective

The result resembles an angelic ring (hence the name) that keeps your hair up and out of the way and simultaneously looking effortlessly elegant.

— Ariel Baker, InStyle, 11 Aug. 2026
Best known for his angelic voice that plays on R&B and pop, WONHO seems to be testing out something new, bordering on dance, EDM, club, house, mellow pop, and hyper-pop.

— Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026

Definition of angelic

Adjective

But the choice of this particular angle of attack reveals the almost supernatural staying power of a rumor, or urban legend, that started roughly four decades ago.

— Allen Salkin, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026
The original seven-season series followed Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers, a young woman who slays vampires, demons and other supernatural creatures with the help of her friends.

— Isabelle Farina, Variety, 13 Sep. 2026

Definition of supernatural

Browse Nearby Words

eternity

ethereal

ethereality

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Ethereal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ethereal. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of ethereal

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

churlish

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18

Popular

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes