ethereal

Also ae·the·re·al

[ih-theer-ee-uhl]

adjective

1. light, airy, or tenuous.

   an ethereal world created through the poetic imagination.

2. extremely delicate or refined.

   ethereal beauty.

3. heavenly or celestial.

   gone to his ethereal home.

4. of or relating to the upper regions of space.

5. Chemistry.,  pertaining to, containing, or resembling ether.

ethereal

/ ɪˈθɪərɪəl /

adjective

1. extremely delicate or refined; exquisite

2. almost as light as air; impalpable; airy

3. celestial or spiritual

4. of, containing, or dissolved in an ether, esp diethyl ether

   an ethereal solution

5. of or relating to the ether

Other Word Forms

• ethereality noun
• etherealness noun
• ethereally adverb
• ethereous adjective
• nonethereal adjective
• nonethereally adverb
• nonetherealness noun
• nonethereality noun
• unethereal adjective
• unethereally adverb
• unetherealness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of ethereal¹

First recorded in 1505–15; from Latin aethere(us) (from Greek aithérios ), equivalent to aether- ether + -eus adjective suffix + -al ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of ethereal¹

C16: from Latin aethereus, from Greek aitherios, from aithēr _ether

Example Sentences

Luxurious finishes and fixtures can be found in every room of the home, including “exquisite crystal chandeliers” that were custom-designed to cast an “ethereal glow” throughout the dwelling.

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Her lovely, ethereal vocalizing briefly infuses the show with the heart and soulful spirit that is conspicuously absent from Mr. Coen’s writing.

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The deal includes an ethereal valuation: Intercontinental Exchange said its stake values Polymarket at $8 billion, though the company reports no revenue.

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It can be breathy and ethereal or a searing flamethrower — and she transforms into an angelic chorus of one when she tracks layers of her own harmonies.

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One that is less about left or right and more about exactly who and what those boys stumble upon inside those ethereal spaces that most parents can’t even find, much less understand.

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Related Words

• airy 
• celestial 
• exquisite 
• ghostly 
• intangible 
• sublime