godlike
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of godlike
Explanation
Someone who's godlike is so wonderful, beautiful, or good that they resemble a god. To very young children, many adults seem godlike simply because they are large and powerful. A devout religious figure might seem godlike to many of his followers — in other words, he seems more like a god than a fallible, mortal human being. The qualities of such a person, or those of a magical or mystical character, are also godlike: "Her godlike ability to become invisible came in handy when she was fighting the bad guys." The word comes from the Old English godlic, or "divine."
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.
Early biographers helped advance the image of a godlike Washington.
From Slate • Feb. 16, 2026
Wilson famously remarked, “The real problem of humanity is … we have Paleolithic emotions, medieval institutions and godlike technology.”
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 9, 2025
They are suggesting robot workforces will rise to outnumber human populations, godlike smartglasses will replace iPhones as new computer paradigms and AI data centers will expand to outer space.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 7, 2025
Once upon a time it was a godlike Pharoah figure looking out on a civilisation but now it’s just a desert.
From BBC • Aug. 24, 2024
I coasted off the road and pulled to within fifty feet of the godlike thing, so close that I had to throw back my head and raise my eyes to vertical to see its branches.
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
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.
