DIVINE Synonyms: 245 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'divine' different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of divine are anticipate , foreknow , and foresee . While all these words mean "to know beforehand," divine adds to foresee the suggestion of exceptional wisdom or discernment. // was able to divine Europe's rapid recovery from the war

Q: When could 'anticipate' be used to replace 'divine'?

Although the words anticipate and divine have much in common, anticipate implies taking action about or responding emotionally to something before it happens. // the waiter anticipated our every need

Q: When might 'foreknow' be a better fit than 'divine'?

The synonyms foreknow and divine are sometimes interchangeable, but foreknow usually implies supernatural assistance, as through revelation. // if only we could foreknow our own destinies

Q: When can 'foresee' be used instead of 'divine'?

While the synonyms foresee and divine are close in meaning, foresee implies nothing about how the knowledge is derived and may apply to ordinary reasoning and experience. // economists should have foreseen the recession

divine 1 of 3

adjective

də-ˈvīn

Definition of divine next

as in wonderful

of the very best kind how about a piece of the most divine apple pie I've ever tasted!

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in heavenly

of, relating to, or being God for these divine gifts let us be truly thankful

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

divine

2 of 3

noun

as in priest

a person specially trained and authorized to conduct religious services in a Christian church the great influence exerted by the Puritan divines in the Massachusetts Bay Colony

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

divine

3 of 3

verb

as in to anticipate

to realize or know about beforehand it was easy to divine his intention of asking his girlfriend to marry him

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word divine different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of divine are anticipate, foreknow, and foresee. While all these words mean "to know beforehand," divine adds to foresee the suggestion of exceptional wisdom or discernment.

was able to divine Europe's rapid recovery from the war

When could anticipate be used to replace divine?

Although the words anticipate and divine have much in common, anticipate implies taking action about or responding emotionally to something before it happens.

the waiter anticipated our every need

When might foreknow be a better fit than divine?

The synonyms foreknow and divine are sometimes interchangeable, but foreknow usually implies supernatural assistance, as through revelation.

if only we could foreknow our own destinies

When can foresee be used instead of divine?

While the synonyms foresee and divine are close in meaning, foresee implies nothing about how the knowledge is derived and may apply to ordinary reasoning and experience.

economists should have foreseen the recession

Examples 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 divine

Adjective

Big movies with big scores often draw on the Western canon, invoking the divine nature of classical music into scenes where a spaceship launches from Earth or anywhere from two to 200 guys fight with swords. —

Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 5 Jan. 2025 There is plenty of basis for the interpretation that mandalas are symbols of the divine cosmos, designed to teach initiates about the real thing, unless mandalas are vessels in which the divine resides, nothing symbolic about them. —

Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2025

Noun

Paintings such as Dark Pasture Encounter: Conduit (2023) and Night Prey, or (The Prey of the Terrible shall be Delivered), 2024, evoke the ecstatic, almost erotic experience of the divine. —

Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 18 Oct. 2024 The resulting music is impressively precise and introspective, grappling with earthly concerns with poise, while also channeling the unexpected, iridescent revelations and comforts of the divine. —

Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2024

Verb

The Etruscan civilization 2,400 years ago in ancient Italy, say experts, believed the future could be divined using chickens, which were said to embody magical qualities. —

John Tufts, The Courier-Journal, 26 Nov. 2024 The desire to know more about the future may be almost universally human, but the ability to divine what lies ahead was certainly not universal, at least in antiquity. —

Elizabeth Djinis, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for divine

Recent Examples of Synonyms for divine

Adjective

The property’s prime location is also close to the launch sites of the area’s famed hot air balloon rides, which are a wonderful way to take in the spectacular views of the otherworldly land formations.

— Sandra MacGregor, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
At 6-2, 202 pounds, Will Johnson has excellent size and length for a cornerback and would be a wonderful complement to Gardner.

— Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 15 Jan. 2025