Meaning 1
So beautiful or grand that it evokes awe beyond ordinary pleasure.
Reach for it when praising art, nature, or experience with unusual elevation and emotional scale
The quartet reached a sublime stillness in the final movement.
Meaning 2
Of exceptionally refined or excellent quality.
Reach for it when giving elevated praise to a sensory or artistic result of the highest order
The chef made a sublime broth from the simplest garden vegetables.
| Meaning 1 | Meaning 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| playful | ||
| everyday | ||
| warm |
| |
| professional | ||
| formal | ||
| literary |
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warm
Fits when the audience's reaction should be stated plainly
Careful The phrase is more explicit and less aesthetically elevated.
formal
Fits when an experience seems to surpass ordinary limits
Careful Transcendent makes a philosophical claim stronger than felt awe alone.
literary
Fits when grandeur and dignity produce admiration
Careful Majesty is stately and visible, while sublime beauty may be austere or terrifying.
playful
Fits when delighted exaggeration suits food or music
Careful Divine can trivialize religious language and makes a looser claim.
everyday
Fits when no relevant fault can honestly be found
Careful Perfect is absolute and may reward conformity rather than profound excellence.
professional
Fits when exceptional quality needs concise credible praise
Careful Superb is measured and lacks the spiritual lift of sublime.
literary
Fits when delicate refinement and fine detail are central
Careful Exquisite suits small perfection better than vast sublime scale.
sublime beauty
The sublime beauty of the glacier also revealed its dangerous power.
sublime moment
A sublime moment of harmony emerged after the long dissonance.
simply sublime
The roasted peaches were simply sublime with fresh mint.
sublime performance
Her sublime performance made each quiet phrase feel necessary.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Neskaya, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Updated
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