as in magic
having seemingly supernatural qualities or powers
some have sensed a numinous energy in the landscape around Sedona, Arizona
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 numinous
Among the drawings encountered just after Chocolate Room is Unidentified Hit Record, where a black vinyl LP hovers like a six-track mandala amid a numinous light show.
—
Susan Tallman, The New York Review of Books, 2 Nov. 2023
Buddy Holly’s puppy love malt shop rock n’ roll repurposed for this numinous oath.
—Jeff Weiss, Spin, 21 Aug. 2023
The filmmaker’s signal accomplishment is to reveal Gia’s experiences, at civic and intimate levels, with friends and with strangers, as the numinous stuff of her inner life.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 13 July 2023
Whereas some fantasists use magic as a deus ex machina which transforms their narrative into farce in short order, at his point a little numinous wonder would do the characters of the A Song of Ice and Fire a world of good.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 8 June 2011
See all Example Sentences for numinous 
Susan Tallman, The New York Review of Books, 2 Nov. 2023
Buddy Holly’s puppy love malt shop rock n’ roll repurposed for this numinous oath.
—Jeff Weiss, Spin, 21 Aug. 2023
The filmmaker’s signal accomplishment is to reveal Gia’s experiences, at civic and intimate levels, with friends and with strangers, as the numinous stuff of her inner life.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 13 July 2023
Whereas some fantasists use magic as a deus ex machina which transforms their narrative into farce in short order, at his point a little numinous wonder would do the characters of the A Song of Ice and Fire a world of good.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 8 June 2011
See all Example Sentences for numinous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for numinous
Adjective
-
And the magic age for signing up for Medicare is 65.Steve Parrish, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
-
Advertisement The fairy tale version of this is that the men napped beneath an oak tree, where Lopez dreamed of gold and then woke up and dug out the magic onions.Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
But there is also the slow minimalism of Morton Feldman and the manic yet patient seeking of Italy’s mystic count Giacinto Scelsi, in the twentieth century.The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2025
-
Their science was expansive, allowing room for philosophy and poetry, for a mystic realm that reason cannot reach.Ida Momennejad, New York Times, 20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
TikTok’s magical algorithm that keeps you hooked on the app is its secret power, and putting a price tag on such a valuable commodity that every other social media app envies is difficult.David Goldman, CNN, 15 Jan. 2025
-
This year, kids could play in extra bounce houses, take a magical light walk and play a life-sized wonderland board game.Pomerado News, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Jan. 2025
Articles Related to numinous
Thesaurus Entries Near numinous
Cite this Entry
“Numinous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/numinous. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share