sublime

[ suh-blahym ]

/ səˈblaɪm /

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See synonyms for: sublime / sublimed / sublimes / subliming on Thesaurus.com

adjective

elevated or lofty in thought, language, etc.: Paradise Lost is sublime poetry.

impressing the mind with a sense of grandeur or power; inspiring awe, veneration, etc.: Switzerland has sublime scenery.

supreme or outstanding: a sublime dinner.

complete; absolute; utter: sublime stupidity.

Archaic.

of lofty bearing.
haughty.

Archaic. raised high; high up.

noun

the sublime,

the realm of things that are sublime: the sublime in art.
the quality of being sublime: the sublime of nature.
the greatest or supreme degree.

verb (used with object), sub·limed, sub·lim·ing.

to make higher, nobler, or purer.

Chemistry.

to convert (a solid substance) by heat into a vapor, which on cooling condenses again to solid form, without apparent liquefaction.
to cause to be given off by this or some analogous process.

verb (used without object), sub·limed, sub·lim·ing.

Chemistry. to volatilize from the solid state to a gas, and then condense again as a solid without passing through the liquid state.

OTHER WORDS FOR sublime

1 exalted, noble.

2 magnificent, superb, august, grand, gorgeous, resplendent, imposing, majestic.

See synonyms for sublime on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of sublime

First recorded in 1350–1400; (noun and adjective) from Latin sublīmis “high,” equivalent to sub- sub- + an element of uncertain origin, variously identified with līmis, līmus “oblique” or līmen “lintel, threshold”; verb ultimately derivative of sublimis

OTHER WORDS FROM sublime

sub·lime·ly, adverbsub·lime·ness, nounsub·lim·er, nounun·sub·limed, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH sublime

sublimate, sublime

Words nearby sublime

sublicense, sublicensee, sublieutenant, sublimate, sublimation, sublime, Sublime Porte, subliminal, subliminal advertising, subliminal perception, sublimity

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use sublime in a sentence

While many loved the elegant art piece, made all the more sublime by the artist’s invisibility, others condemned the incursion of any man-made object in pristine desert.
Who's Really to Blame for the Monolith Shitshow|Mark Sundeen|December 4, 2020|Outside Online
On the other hand, single conifers have a capacity to dazzle as sublime specimens or to drag a landscape down.
Winter wonders: Conifers revive the sleeping garden. But remember, less is more.|Adrian Higgins|December 2, 2020|Washington Post
That made the ice in the mix sublime — move directly from a solid to a gas.
‘Frozen smoke’ could protect electronics from annoying static|Sid Perkins|October 28, 2020|Science News For Students
First, there’s the sublime look of joy on Luke’s face as Jess says, “I was attacked by a swan.”
Every episode of Gilmore Girls, ranked|Constance Grady|October 6, 2020|Vox

The essential kindness and sublime silliness of one terrific franchise.
The essential kindness of Bill and Ted|Alissa Wilkinson|August 28, 2020|Vox
From this louche improbable source pours music of sublime beauty without one false note.
Why Can’t Movies Capture Genius?|Clive Irving|December 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“I have thought that no incident in the life of Jackson was more truly sublime than this,” wrote Hill.
Stonewall Jackson, VMI’s Most Embattled Professor|S. C. Gwynne|November 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The decision brings the Military more in line with its veterans who have seen combat and found nothing sublime in war.
There Are Only Atheists in Fox Holes|Michael Carson|October 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“It seems like volunteers for ISIS are surfing for the sublime,” Atran wrote to me on Sunday.
ISIS, Hip-Hop Jihadists and the Man Who Killed James Foley|Christopher Dickey|August 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
We did it by knowing that the writing is really sublime and just opening yourself to it.
Inside Orange Is the New Black’s Terrifying Showdown Between Red and Vee|Kevin Fallon|June 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
On such occasions his unfaltering impudence reached heights truly sublime.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
Byron wrote dashingly about 'sublime Tobacco,' but I do not think he carried the practice to excess.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
To fall from the sublime to the ridiculous is especially awkward, and results in becoming very particularly ridiculous yourself.
Violins and Violin Makers|Joseph Pearce
It was thronged with motorists who generally dashed along in sublime disregard of the speed limits.
British Highways And Byways From A Motor Car|Thomas D. Murphy
It is to him that we are indebted for all knowledge of the sublime scenes enacted at the last supper of the Girondists.
Madame Roland, Makers of History|John S. C. Abbott

British Dictionary definitions for sublime

sublime

/ (səˈblaɪm) /

adjective

of high moral, aesthetic, intellectual, or spiritual value; noble; exalted

inspiring deep veneration, awe, or uplifting emotion because of its beauty, nobility, grandeur, or immensity

unparalleled; supremea sublime compliment

poetic of proud bearing or aspect

archaic raised up

noun the sublime

something that is sublime

the ultimate degree or perfect examplethe sublime of folly

verb

(tr) to make higher or purer

to change or cause to change directly from a solid to a vapour or gas without first meltingto sublime iodine; many mercury salts sublime when heated

to undergo or cause to undergo this process followed by a reverse change directly from a vapour to a solidto sublime iodine onto glass

Derived forms of sublime

sublimely, adverbsublimity (səˈblɪmɪtɪ), noun

Word Origin for sublime

C14: from Latin sublīmis lofty, perhaps from sub- up to + līmen lintel

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

sublime

OTHER WORDS FOR sublime

Origin of sublime

OTHER WORDS FROM sublime

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH sublime

Words nearby sublime

Words related to sublime

How to use sublime in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sublime

Derived forms of sublime

Word Origin for sublime