ethereal
- 01 C1 Advanced
adj.extremely light and delicate in a way that seems too perfect for this world.
adj.characterized by extreme delicacy and lightness; appearing too perfect or spiritual for the material world.
Simple“The singer's ethereal voice made the audience feel like they were in a dream.”
In context“The morning mist gave the ancient ruins an ethereal quality, as if the stones were floating above the valley floor.”
Teacher's tipThis is a high-level descriptive word; encourage students to use it for light, music, or beauty rather than physical objects like food.
- 02 C2 Proficiency
adj.relating to the sky or the space beyond Earth.
adj.pertaining to the regions beyond the earth or the higher atmosphere; celestial in nature.
Simple“The telescope captured the ethereal glow of a distant nebula.”
In context“Philosophers once believed the stars were composed of an ethereal substance quite different from the elements found on Earth.”
Teacher's tipIn modern contexts, this sense is mostly found in historical scientific texts or high-register poetry.
Antonyms - 03 C2 Proficiency
n.a style of dark, atmospheric rock music with high, airy vocals.
n.a subgenre of dark wave music characterized by atmospheric soundscapes and high-pitched, breathy female vocals.
Simple“She spent the evening listening to ethereal and gothic rock bands.”
In context“The festival lineup features several prominent ethereal acts known for their use of heavy reverb and haunting melodies.”
UsageOften used as an uncountable noun or as a modifier for 'wave'.
Teacher's tipThis is a very niche term used by music critics and fans of alternative subcultures.
Synonymsethereal wave
“On both Apollo 11 and Artemis 2, the astronauts could see the ethereal solar corona , or the sun’s wispy and faint outer atmosphere, which is typically hidden by the star’s bright light.”
“Perla Ambrosini is our ethereal host, standing in fabric armour in a shallow pool of water.”
From Latin aetherius (“of or pertaining to the ether, the sky, Heaven or the air or upper air”), from Ancient Greek αἰθέριος (aithérios, “of or pertaining to the upper air”). By surface analysis, ether + -ial.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.