ethereal
- Extremely delicate and light in a way that seems not of this world; heavenly or celestial in quality.
In a sentence
- The choir's ethereal harmonies drifted through the stone cathedral like something not entirely of this earth.
- At dawn, a thin ethereal mist hovered over the lake, dissolving the boundary between water and sky.
Usage note. Avoid overusing 'ethereal' as a vague synonym for 'pretty'; it carries a specific connotation of otherworldliness or near-weightlessness that should be meaningful in context.
Where it comes from
English ethereal — “delicate, heavenly, unworldly” · entered English 16th c.
Derived from Latin 'aethereus,' from Greek 'aitherios,' relating to 'aither' — the pure, bright upper air or sky believed by ancient philosophers to fill the universe above the clouds. Greek 'aither' comes from 'aithein' meaning 'to blaze' or 'to kindle.' The word entered English in the mid-16th century, around the 1510s–1530s, first in literal astronomical senses before acquiring its figurative meaning of delicate otherworldliness.