Word
otherworldly
Phoneticsoth·er·world·ly, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈəðɝˈwɝɫdɫi/
UK/ˈʌðəwˌɜːldli/
Definition
adj. looking or feeling like it belongs to a different world. You use this to describe something that is very strange, beautiful, or not like anything you have seen before.
adj. resembling or belonging to another world; having a quality that is strange, unearthly, or supernatural. Often used to describe landscapes or experiences that feel alien to the observer.
Examples
“The ancient ruins looked otherworldly in the moonlight.”
“The artist's use of deep blues and silvers created an otherworldly atmosphere that seemed to transport the viewer to a realm beyond the physical world.”
Examples
simple
“The ancient ruins looked otherworldly in the moonlight.”
complex
“The artist's use of deep blues and silvers created an otherworldly atmosphere that seemed to transport the viewer to a realm beyond the physical world.”
Real-World Examples
“That's what it's like standing in Egypt's coastal sabkhas—those otherworldly landscapes where the ground crunches beneath your feet and the air shimmers with heat.” “The show ends with a forlorn and otherworldly solo, performed inside two clingfilm-wrapped frames forming a tunnel.” Etymology
From other world (“a world beyond death; a world other than the everyday world”) + -ly (suffix meaning having the likeness of, resembling forming adjectives).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/otherworldly