heavenly
Americanadjective
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of or in the heavens.
the heavenly bodies.
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of, belonging to, or coming from the heaven of God, the angels, etc.
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resembling or befitting heaven; blissful; beautiful.
His home in Tahiti was a heavenly spot.
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divine or celestial.
heavenly peace.
adjective
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informal alluring, wonderful, or sublime
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of or occurring in space
a heavenly body
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divine; holy
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of heavenly
before 1000; Middle English hevenly, Old English heofonlīc. See heaven, -ly
Explanation
If something is heavenly, it either has something to do with God — it's sacred or divine — or it's so wonderful that it seems like it is, like the heavenly double-fudge brownies that your dad makes. If you hear a priest in a church refer to "the heavenly Father," that basically translates to "God in heaven." When you observe heavenly objects through your telescope, you're looking at things that are in the sky, rather than something sacred or religious. And the most common, everyday way to use this adjective is to mean so beautiful or amazing that it seems like it came from heaven: "This weather is heavenly."
Vocabulary lists containing heavenly
Words to Describe Food
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"Do Not Be Anxious"
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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.
A three-ingredient treat: If you’d rather nosh on a less processed snack, Noah Lederman recommends a super-fresh dish that’s perfect for late summer: a heavenly concoction he’s dubbed Fish Crudo With Melon and Tomato Water.
From Slate ● Sep. 14, 2026
The expected rush has caused trepidation for the authorities, who are pleading for caution amid fears that the heavenly phenomenon will unleash hell on the ground.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
Within minutes, your kitchen will smell heavenly — and dinner is served.
From Salon ● Jun. 13, 2026
Musk had preached of populating Mars, but now his focus has turned to a closer heavenly body, our moon.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 30, 2026
We sat down and the grass felt heavenly, like a featherbed compared with the wagon floor.
From "Between Shades of Gray" by Ruta Sepetys
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
