ethereal
adjective
William Beebe
Did you know?
If you're burning to know the history of ethereal, you're in the right spirit to fully understand the word's etymology. The ancient Greeks believed that the Earth was composed of earth, air, fire, and water, but that the heavens and its denizens were made of a purer, less tangible substance known (in English transliteration) as either quintessence or ether. Ether was often described as an invisible light or fire; its name comes from the Greek verb aithein, meaning "to ignite" or "to blaze." When ethereal, the adjectival kin of ether, debuted in English in the 1500s, it described regions beyond the Earth or anything that seemed to originate from them.
Examples of ethereal in a Sentence
Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 9 Apr. 2025
The vapor added an ethereal quality to the photos—soft, swirling clouds that mimicked the surrounding fog, creating a dreamlike atmosphere.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025
But the bedroom alone, with its wrap-around terrace and jungle view, plus an ethereal mosquito net to protect the bed, is worth writing home about on its own.
—Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 5 Apr. 2025
Wild berries, forest floor, bright red cherries, minerality, morel mushrooms, floral notes, cassis and a lot more minerality… nothing on earth can produce the magically ethereal aromas that great Pinot Noir wines can evoke.
—Cathrine Todd, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ethereal
Cite this Entry
“Ethereal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethereal. Accessed 17 Apr. 2025.
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ethereal
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adjective
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