divine

B2 · Upper Intermediate Informal

adj. extremely good, pleasant, or beautiful.

adj. of superhuman or surpassing excellence; used as a superlative for aesthetic or sensory pleasure.

“The chocolate cake we had for dessert was absolutely divine.”

“The soprano gave a divine performance that left the entire audience in stunned silence for several moments after the final note.”

C1 · Advanced Literary

v. to find out or guess something that is hidden or not obvious.

v. to discover or perceive something by intuition or insight rather than by direct evidence.

日本語:読む※

“I managed to divine her true feelings despite her polite smile.”

“Experienced investors often try to divine the future of the market by looking at subtle shifts in consumer confidence.”

C2 · Proficiency Technical

v. to look for water or minerals underground using a special stick.

v. to search for underground water or minerals by means of a dowsing rod.

“The farmer hired a man to divine for water before digging the new well.”

“Although scientists remain sceptical, many rural communities still rely on specialists who claim to divine water using hazel branches.”

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Religion Archaic · Formal

n. a person who studies religion or works as a priest.

n. a person skilled in divinity or theology; a member of the clergy.

“The old library contained many books written by famous seventeenth-century divines.”

“The council consisted of several learned divines who were tasked with interpreting the new religious statutes.”