Gloss · Words · Ethereal

ethereal

ɪˈθɪriəladjective

What does ethereal mean?

So light and delicate it seems not quite of this world.

Ethereal, six ways

PlainSo light and delicate it seems not quite of this world.
ADHDBarely there. Light, delicate, almost unreal.
Gen ZThat dreamy, floaty look or sound. Morning fog, a harp, someone in a white dress at dusk.
MetaphorMist with a shape: there, and about to be gone.
FormalExtremely delicate and light in a way that seems too perfect for this world; heavenly.
Like I’m 5Something so light and pretty it looks like it could float away, like a soap bubble. That’s ethereal.

How to pronounce ethereal

ih-THEER-ee-ul/ɪˈθɪriəl/

Ethereal in a sentence

The singer’s voice had an ethereal quality.
The choir sounded ethereal in the stone church.
Her paintings have an ethereal, washed-out light.

Synonyms for ethereal

delicateFine and fragile, plainer.
otherworldlyNot of this world, less about lightness.
airyLight and open, more casual.

Ethereal vs ephemeral: Ethereal is about lightness. Ephemeral is about time. They get swapped because they sound alike. The difference, in plain English.

Where ethereal comes from

Greek. Aithēr, the clear upper air, which the Greeks thought the gods breathed.

Good to know

Often confused with ephemeral. Ethereal is about lightness and beauty; it says nothing about how long a thing lasts.

Ethereal meaning, on a Gloss card: So light and delicate it seems not quite of this world.

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Ethereal on one card: what it means, how to say it, and a sentence. Keep it, or pin it for later.

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In: Beautiful words · Words for the senses