ETHEREAL Synonyms: 112 Similar and Opposite Words

ethereal

adjective

i-ˈthir-ē-əl

Definition of ethereal

as in spiritual

not composed of matter that ethereal attribute that every performer should have—charisma

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in fluffy

resembling air in lightness the bakery's scrumptious pastries have a wonderfully ethereal consistency

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in celestial

of, relating to, or suggesting heaven described as a land of ethereal beauty and tranquility

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of ethereal As neural-network pioneer Geoffrey Hinton, Mark Rylance projects an almost ethereal braininess, drifting through rooms as though the rest of him were on some other plane of existence. — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2026 Eva Marie Saint, the ethereal beauty who won the best supporting actress Oscar for her work in her first motion picture, On the Waterfront, then dazzled audiences as a double agent in North by Northwest, died Tuesday. — Duane Byrge, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026 Then, just to keep us guessing, Pugh attended a press event at New York’s Paley Center in an ethereal all-white Erdem gown, a personification of symbolic innocence. — Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026 After her brief talk, the music starts up — an ethereal, energetic mix of electronica, African rhythms and pop — and the circle dissolves into free-form dance. — Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ethereal

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ethereal

Adjective

Each work takes its cues from Vodou spiritual practices in Haiti that are grounded in their African roots.

— Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Since those moments Birmingham has occupied a central space in the physical and spiritual lineage of America's Civil Rights Movement.

— Leslie Pariseau, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of spiritual

Adjective

The ultra-crunchy exterior gives way to a luxurious, fluffy center and a deep corn flavor.

— Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Make like Daisy Edgar-Jones and curve the face-framing layers away from your face to create body and dimension, or copy Dakota Johnson’s piece-y fringe and add a dab of dry shampoo to create fluffy volume.

— Lorena Meouchi, Vogue, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of fluffy

Adjective

Heavily promoted as the most anticipated celestial event of the second half of the 20th century, the comet proved to be an underwhelming sight that belied promises of a spectacle never to be seen again.

— Joe Rao, Space.com, 13 Oct. 2026
The Draconids are also referred to as the Giacobinids in honor of that comet’s discoverer, Michel Giacobini, who spotted the celestial object in 1900.

— Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of celestial

Adjective

Followers of the Abrahamic religions are supposed to treat God as immaterial and incorporeal, yet these early Yahweh worshippers imagined him as fully embodied.

— Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2026
Positioned as a large-scale genre event, the series updates the legendary SFX property with a contemporary political and social edge, with Shun Oguri leading the cast as a detective hunting a seemingly incorporeal killer.

— Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 27 Jan. 2026

Definition of incorporeal

Adjective

The duo think they’re headed to the heavenly afterlife only to arrive at the office of the Devil (voiced by Culkin), who seems overwhelmed by his job.

— Marlow Stern, Variety, 2 Oct. 2026
To qualify for beatification, the Vatican normally requires one miracle attributable to the faithful seeking the candidate's heavenly prayers.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of heavenly

Adjective

The best moments on records like Redemption, Blackheart, and Second Line use her knack for grand, metaphysical metaphors to charge her singing with epic stakes.

— Stephen Kearse, Pitchfork, 9 Oct. 2026
Our work re-imagines these ancient tombs as theatrical spaces, built to perpetuate a form of metaphysical human experience.

— Jacqueline Ortoleva, Scientific American, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of metaphysical

Adjective

And the angelic youth Dorian Gray’s deadly descent into vanity and vice—ignited by a hubristic obsession with his own image—eerily foreshadows the grim trajectory of Wilde’s later years.

— Hannah Aizenman, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026
In Barcelona, a popular graffiti artist painted Maricarmen in angelic form, complete with halo, wings and a white toga.

— Joseph Wilson, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of angelic

Adjective

Surprise, surprise, the crime had a supernatural basis—and is linked to a number of others, all brutally depicted in reels of film left in his attic.

— Eve Batey, Vanity Fair, 16 Oct. 2026
Rather than relying on supernatural creatures or elaborate mythology, Fears to Fathom builds suspense around seemingly ordinary situations that take increasingly terrifying turns.

— Denise Petski, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of supernatural

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eternity

ethereal

ethereality

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“Ethereal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ethereal. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of ethereal

adjective

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