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.
Taylor-Joy is an ethereal wisp of a thing — very much the somatic opposite of Waddingham — but she sells the action well.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
Where he was fixated on his material’s enduring properties and its resistance to manipulation, she is focused on the ethereal nature of things—even things as permanent as steel.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
“The way democracy hits them is they want to have a better life, and there’s nothing wrong with talking to people about the cost-of-living crisis. That’s not smaller than talking about ethereal democracy ideas.”
From Slate ● Apr. 23, 2026
In it, Landry played her original song “Legacy,” a heavenly vocal track banging her head as she unraveled a soundscape that called to mind an ethereal alien planet.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 21, 2026
His body was frail, which made his head seem large and gave him an ethereal look.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
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.
