ethereal

ethereal

intangible; delicate; heavenly; spiritual: It was an ethereal visitation by someone from another world.

Not to be confused with:

ephemeral – lasting a short time; transitory; short-lived: It was an ephemeral but delightful visit.

e·the·re·al

 (ĭ-thîr′ē-əl)

adj.

1. Extremely light or delicate: "An ant lion ... is lovely, long-bodied like a damselfly, with a pair of ethereal wings" (Jennifer Ackerman).

2.

a. Of the celestial spheres; heavenly.

b. Spiritual or otherworldly.

3. Chemistry Of or relating to ether.

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[From Latin aetherius, from Greek aitherios, from aithēr, upper air.]

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e·the′re·al′i·ty (-ăl′ĭ-tē), e·the′re·al·ness n.

e·the′re·al·ly adv.

ethereal

(ɪˈθɪərɪəl)

adj

1. extremely delicate or refined; exquisite

2. almost as light as air; impalpable; airy

3. celestial or spiritual

4. (Chemistry) of, containing, or dissolved in an ether, esp diethyl ether: an ethereal solution.

5. of or relating to the ether

[C16: from Latin aethereus, from Greek aitherios, from aithēr ether]

eˌthereˈality, eˈtherealness n

eˈthereally adv

e•the•re•al

(ɪˈθɪər i əl)

adj.

1. light, airy, or tenuous.

2. extremely delicate or refined: ethereal beauty.

3. heavenly or celestial.

4. of or pertaining to the upper regions of space.

5. pertaining to, containing, or resembling ethyl ether.

[1505–15; < Latin aethere(us) < Greek aithérios]

e•the`re•al′i•ty, e•the′re•al•ness, n.

e•the′re•al•ly, adv.

ethereal

- First meant "resembling the ether or lightest and most subtle of elements," and now means that something is impalpable or unearthly.

See also related terms for subtle.

Thesaurus

Adj.	1.	ethereal - characterized by lightness and insubstantiality; as impalpable or intangible as air; "figures light and aeriform come unlooked for and melt away"- Thomas Carlyle; "aerial fancies"; "an airy apparition"; "physical rather than ethereal forms" aery, aerial, aeriform, airy insubstantial, unsubstantial, unreal - lacking material form or substance; unreal; "as insubstantial as a dream"; "an insubstantial mirage on the horizon"
	2.	ethereal - of or containing or dissolved in ether; "ethereal solution" chemical science, chemistry - the science of matter; the branch of the natural sciences dealing with the composition of substances and their properties and reactions
	3.	ethereal - of heaven or the spirit; "celestial peace"; "ethereal melodies"; "the supernal happiness of a quiet death" supernal, celestial heavenly - of or belonging to heaven or god
	4.	ethereal - characterized by unusual lightness and delicacy; "this smallest and most ethereal of birds"; "gossamer shading through his playing" gossamer delicate - exquisitely fine and subtle and pleasing; susceptible to injury; "a delicate violin passage"; "delicate china"; "a delicate flavor"; "the delicate wing of a butterfly"

ethereal

adjective

1. delicate, light, fine, subtle, refined, exquisite, tenuous, dainty, rarefied gorgeous, hauntingly ethereal melodies

2. insubstantial, light, fairy, aerial, airy, intangible, rarefied, impalpable the ethereal world of romantic fiction

3. spiritual, heavenly, unearthly, sublime, celestial, unworldly, empyreal the ethereal realm of the divine

ethereal

adjective

So light and insubstantial as to resemble air or a thin film:

aerial, aery, airy, diaphanous, filmy, gauzy, gossamer, gossamery, sheer, transparent, vaporous, vapory.

Translations

éthéré

etereo

ethereal

[ɪˈθɪərɪəl] ADJ (fig) → etéreo

ethereal

[ɪˈθɪərɪəl] adj → éthéré(e)

ethereal

adj

(= light, delicate, spiritual) → ätherisch

(= of the upper air) regions → himmlisch

ethereal

[ɪˈθɪərɪəl] adj → etereo/a