1 ethereal | Definition of ethereal
Logo
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

ethereal

adjective
ethe·​re·​al | \ i-ˈthir-ē-əl How to pronounce ethereal (audio) \

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

Keep scrolling for more

Other Words from ethereal

ethereality \ i-​ˌthir-​ē-​ˈa-​lə-​tē How to pronounce ethereality (audio) \ noun
etherealization \ i-​ˌthir-​ē-​ə-​lə-​ˈzā-​shən How to pronounce etherealization (audio) \ noun
etherealize \ i-​ˈthir-​ē-​ə-​ˌlīz How to pronounce etherealize (audio) \ transitive verb
ethereally \ i-​ˈthir-​ē-​ə-​lē How to pronounce ethereally (audio) \ 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 adjective kin of "ether," debuted in English in the 1500s, it referred specifically to regions beyond the Earth, but it gradually came to refer to anything heavenly or airy.

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

 McCook chose to wear an ethereal wedding gown by Liz Martinez on her wedding day, planned by Wild Heart Events and produced by Events by Rincon. — Melody Chiu, PEOPLE.com, "Last Man Standing Actress Molly McCook Marries Broadway Actor John Krause in California," 8 Sep. 2019 But Kossakovsky saves the most ethereal marvel for last. — Peter Keough, BostonGlobe.com, "In Focus: Water, water everywhere, and many thoughts to think," 27 Aug. 2019 Anthropologie: Save 20% off all clothing Anthropologie's sale section is like a treasure trove of bohemian, ethereal styles that are actually affordable. — Courtney Campbell, USA TODAY, "23 fashion and beauty retailers having amazing pre-Labor Day sales this weekend," 23 Aug. 2019 This isn’t the ethereal sight of early morning light filtering through the forest that inspires photographers, poets, and painters. — Sunny Fitzgerald, Glamour, "It Took a 400-Mile Trek for Me to Finally Stop Resenting My Body," 14 Aug. 2019 Turn instead to the crunchy shrimp dumplings, the ethereal shrimp tempura, the flamboyant seafood okonomiyaki or even the nikuzume lotus root paired with a ground chicken patty slathered in a sweet, savory yakiniku sauce. — Washington Post, "Zeppelin is fun, but its sushi doesn’t quite fly," 1 Aug. 2019 Sometimes earthbound, sometimes spinning in mid-air, this species, known formally as A-WOL Dance Collective, brings an ethereal, fascinating mix of aerial and contemporary dance, acrobatics, circus arts and gymnastics to the woods off Oregon 43. — oregonlive.com, "West Linn dance-in-the-park show mixes aerial feats, circus arts," 29 July 2019 One of Elaine Turner’s wispy watercolors shows a suggestive, ethereal pink flamingo whose body is more an idea in color than anything specific. — Denise Coffey, courant.com, "“New Perspectives” On Display At Spirol Gallery," 29 July 2019 After using a series of practical touches since that chop, Barnes once again returns to the ethereal to scoop it away from the inconsequential stepper-upper. — SI.com, "John Barnes vs Brazil: Looking Back at England's Greatest Ever Goal 35 Years On," 10 June 2019

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.

See More

First Known Use of ethereal

1522, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Keep scrolling for more

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for ethereal

ethereal

adjective
How to pronounce ethereal (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of ethereal

formal
: in heaven
: resembling heaven : seeming to belong to another world
: very delicate

See the full definition for ethereal in the English Language Learners Dictionary

ethereal

adjective
ethe·​re·​al | \ i-ˈthir-ē-əl How to pronounce ethereal (audio) \

Kids Definition of ethereal

1 : suggesting heaven or the heavens ethereal music
2 : very delicate : airy

ethereal

adjective
ethe·​re·​al

WORD OF THE DAY

See Definitions and Examples

Get Word of the Day daily email!