1
as in temporal
having to do with life on earth especially as opposed to that in heaven
a time of year when people shouldn't focus on fleshly concerns, but instead on spiritual matters
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in physical
of or relating to the human body
the fleshly eye sees the only finished painting, but the mind's eye sees the genius behind its creation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in sensual
pleasing to the physical senses
returning campers looking forward to all the fleshly pleasures of home, including warm baths
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 fleshly
Murderbot has been realized in fleshly form in the sculpted body of Alexander Skarsgård, on the new Apple TV+ series of the same name.
—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 13 June 2025
That was the thing about Succession — its characters were monstrous, but the show never lost sight of their fleshly fallibility, their doubts and vulnerabilities.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 31 May 2025
What the world desires, in short, is a glimpse of a video game, which no one will be able to play until 2025—a game that builds an entire alternative world, glowing with the promise of violence and other fleshly thrills.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2023
But the album offers more than deliciously hedonistic thrills: Thrusting us into their operatic world, this Brooklyn band makes peace with their dark memories and fleshly desires.
—Pitchfork, 6 Dec. 2023
When another girl, Addie (Mia Pak), tries to explain Jesus’ status as the Son of God—fully fleshly and fully divine—as the meeting of horizontal and vertical lines at the overlapping center of a Venn diagram, Beatrice fisks the idea earnestly.
—Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2022
The grateful nutcracker becomes a living prince and leads Clara through a spinning snowstorm of ballerinas to a sugary kingdom where flamenco-style dancers spin with twisting torsos and entwining arms as fleshly embodiments of Spanish chocolate.
—Sarah L. Kaufman, Washington Post, 25 Nov. 2022
There is a leveling effect to his approach, one that allows About Endlessness to find grandeur in the smallest of everyday moments while also highlighting the fallible, fleshly absurdity of even history’s most outsize figures.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2021
They were tempted by curiosity and hunger, by fleshly desires.
—Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, The New Yorker, 18 Jan. 2021
Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 13 June 2025
That was the thing about Succession — its characters were monstrous, but the show never lost sight of their fleshly fallibility, their doubts and vulnerabilities.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 31 May 2025
What the world desires, in short, is a glimpse of a video game, which no one will be able to play until 2025—a game that builds an entire alternative world, glowing with the promise of violence and other fleshly thrills.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2023
But the album offers more than deliciously hedonistic thrills: Thrusting us into their operatic world, this Brooklyn band makes peace with their dark memories and fleshly desires.
—Pitchfork, 6 Dec. 2023
When another girl, Addie (Mia Pak), tries to explain Jesus’ status as the Son of God—fully fleshly and fully divine—as the meeting of horizontal and vertical lines at the overlapping center of a Venn diagram, Beatrice fisks the idea earnestly.
—Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2022
The grateful nutcracker becomes a living prince and leads Clara through a spinning snowstorm of ballerinas to a sugary kingdom where flamenco-style dancers spin with twisting torsos and entwining arms as fleshly embodiments of Spanish chocolate.
—Sarah L. Kaufman, Washington Post, 25 Nov. 2022
There is a leveling effect to his approach, one that allows About Endlessness to find grandeur in the smallest of everyday moments while also highlighting the fallible, fleshly absurdity of even history’s most outsize figures.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2021
They were tempted by curiosity and hunger, by fleshly desires.
—Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, The New Yorker, 18 Jan. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fleshly
Adjective
-
For Lyell, the material and the organic worlds belong to categorically distinct temporal orders.—
Lewis Hyde,
Harpers Magazine,
18 June 2025
-
While scholars like Resnik, Hosseini, Friesen, Floridi and Lin have proposed meaningful reforms, such as ethical AI education, diverse oversight and explainability principles, few focus on the evolving temporal relationship between humans and algorithms.—
Taposh Roy,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
Adjective
-
The wellness initiative has several components, including mental health, physical health, social connections and fostering healthy habits.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
15 June 2025
-
But balance and mobility require physical activity -- even in the lightest form.—
Matt Parrott,
Arkansas Online,
15 June 2025
Adjective
-
Our favorite is Santal a La Vida, which takes the popular woody scent to a creamy, serene space that contrasts with the spicy, sensual scents it’s normally used for.—
Justin Fenner,
Robb Report,
13 June 2025
-
Leslie Bibb Leslie Bibb took inspiration from suited styling with a sensual spin, wearing a minidress constructed with blazer elements.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
11 June 2025
Adjective
-
When in doubt, let machines hurdle the mundane—but save critical decisions, emotional moments and nuanced interactions for humans.—
Joel Frenette,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
-
In more mundane incidents during a flight, sitting near an emergency exit would allow passengers to disembark sooner than others.—
Colson Thayer,
People.com,
18 June 2025
Adjective
-
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol said that McCorkle was charged with a misdemeanor for failure to yield the right of way causing bodily injury, WSOC-TV reported.—
Lesley Cosme Torres,
People.com,
12 June 2025
-
Djuna Bostick, 59, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and negligent child abuse by a willful act or omission causing serious bodily injury, according to the Hamlet Police Department.—
Olivia Lloyd,
Charlotte Observer,
12 June 2025
Adjective
-
This model reshapes terrestrial manufacturing, enabling real-time diagnostics, predictive maintenance and rapid iteration.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2025
-
But SpaceX has also had to build large ground stations around the world, known as gateways, to pipe data into space from the terrestrial Internet.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
11 June 2025
Adjective
-
His earthly travails were soul-sapping and then some.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 June 2025
-
The Yoruba people believe that the Osun-Osogbo grove, which sprawls across 185 acres of dense forest, is the goddess Osun’s earthly home.—
Ogar Monday,
Christian Science Monitor,
8 May 2025
Adjective
-
In 2022, the FDA Modernization Act 2.0 paved the way for alternatives to animal testing, and in December 2023, an NIH advisory committee made similar recommendations to develop non-animal methods.—
Rachel Fobar,
Vox,
14 May 2025
-
Rendering is a process that transforms animal by-products, like leftover meat and fats...and yes, chicken feet, into usable materials, such as animal feed, fuel, and other industrial products.—
Phil Kafarakis,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fleshly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fleshly. Accessed 28 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share