numinous

adjective

ˈnü-mə-nəs How to pronounce numinous (audio)
Definition of numinousnext
as in magic
having seemingly supernatural qualities or powers some have sensed a numinous energy in the landscape around Sedona, Arizona

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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 numinous De Hooch’s 1663 painting delivers exactly as little drama and numinous transcendence as its title promises. — Susan Tallman, The Atlantic, 11 July 2026 In an old-growth forest, the beauty of old trees intertwines with the bodies of those trying to save them, creating something numinous. — Robert Moor, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026 Though also suspended, Bo Bardi’s building generously offers a sheltering agora for all people on the street rather than a numinous temple for rarefied art audiences. — Michaëla De Lacaze Mohrmann, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026 In this numinous world, visitors come by for death bed reckonings, and the CEO will have many scores to settle. — Emma Alpern, Vulture, 30 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for numinous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for numinous
  1. magic
  2. mystic
  3. magical
Adjective
  • That was the magic gadget that put TONE3000 squarely back in my sights.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 13 Oct. 2026
  • All the rest of us need are some magic rings and/or the film‘s theatrical release on February 12.
    — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of magic
Adjective
  • Chalk it up to my obsession with Twin Peaks, affinity for mossy landscapes, and lifelong fascination with all things misty and mystic; the Pacific Northwest has always felt like a second home.
    — Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Two translations—of poems by the Indian mystic Mirabai and the contemporary Romanian poet Radu Vancu—seek to inhabit and transcend the history that holds up the present.
    — Craig Morgan Teicher, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of mystic
Adjective
  • But these magical, convention-defying places are also one of our greatest allies in the fight against climate change.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
  • While the name sounds dramatic, Goble said there is nothing magical about crossing that temperature threshold.
    — Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of magical

Browse Nearby Words

numerous
numinous
numinousness
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Cite this Entry

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

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More from Merriam-Webster on numinous

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about numinous

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