ethereal
Americanadjective
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light, airy, or tenuous.
an ethereal world created through the poetic imagination.
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extremely delicate or refined.
ethereal beauty.
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heavenly or celestial.
gone to his ethereal home.
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of or relating to the upper regions of space.
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Chemistry. pertaining to, containing, or resembling ether.
adjective
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extremely delicate or refined; exquisite
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almost as light as air; impalpable; airy
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celestial or spiritual
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of, containing, or dissolved in an ether, esp diethyl ether
an ethereal solution
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of or relating to the ether
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of ethereal
First recorded in 1505–15; from Latin aethere(us) (from Greek aithérios ), equivalent to aether- ether + -eus adjective suffix + -al 1
Explanation
Something ethereal is airy and insubstantial, like a ghostly figure at the top of the stairs. This word can also describe something delicate and light, like a singer’s ethereal voice. Ethereal comes from the Greek word for ether, which means “air” or more specifically “the upper regions of space.” An ethereal substance or sound is one that carries the feeling of light and air — something you might see in a vision that strikes you as heavenly or supernatural.
Vocabulary lists containing ethereal
Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 2
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ACT Vocabulary List
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The Scarlet Letter
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She founded the Ethereal Learning Foundation in Nottingham in January 2021 and, at first, ran workshops in schools supporting mental health.
From BBC • Feb. 10, 2026
Ethereal title cards present large, infinitely ponderable questions such as “Do You Believe In Heaven?” and “Is There Love In Heaven?”
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 7, 2026
Ethereal and dewy — with Debussy’s music just about pouring out of her limbs and pliant back — Afanasenkov is a curious mix of qualities: modern, but with a rare old-world grandeur.
From New York Times • May 29, 2023
From then to April he ran third, fifth, third, fourth and third, mustering just enough points to squeeze into the Derby when Ethereal Road scratched.
From Washington Post • Jun. 9, 2022
Ethereal in its beauty but supreme in power, it rules over the entire opera.
From Stars of the Opera by Wagnalls, Mabel
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
