sublime Definition
sub·lime (sə blīm′)
adjective
- noble; exalted; majestic
- inspiring awe or admiration through grandeur, beauty, etc.
- Informal outstandingly or supremely such a man of sublime taste
- Archaic
- elated; joyful
- proud; lofty; haughty
- upraised; aloft
Etymology: L sublimus < sub-, up to + limen, lintel (hence, orig. up to the lintel): see limen
transitive verb -·limed′, -·lim′·ing
- to make sublime
- sublimate ()
Etymology: ME sublimen < MFr sublimer < ML sublimare < L, to lift high < the adj.
intransitive verb
sublime Related Forms
sub·lime′ly adverb
sub·lime′·ness noun
sublime Idioms
the sublime
sublime quality; sublimity
sublime Synonyms
sublime
modif.
sublime Usage Examples
Object
- magnesium: For comparison, a sample of triply sublimed magnesium was acquired from the Dow Chemical Company.
- sulfur: Earth-based radar has detected an extremely reflective material in these regions which may be sublimed sulfur or even water ice.
Adjective complement with noun phrase
make: Like chicken soup, simple ingredients combining to make something sublime.
Modifies a noun
- frost: Not a cloud in the sky, the caps of the Munros glistening white with snow and a sublime frost covering everything.
- melody: Wherever Mozart found the inspiration for his sublime melodies for the 40th symphony, they were immediate hits.
- harmony: Either way, the voices are right up front throughout in sublime harmony.
- genius: Starting in 1980 Gary Larson became known the world over for giving us glimpses into sublime genius, with a liberal sprinkling of cows.
- vocal: A combination of sublime vocals, poignant lyrics and ethereal soundscapes.
- beauty: Rufous-browed Flycatcher in its sublime beauty lies in wait to show inside the lower branches.
Modifying Another Word
- triply: For comparison, a sample of triply sublimed magnesium was acquired from the Dow Chemical Company.
- utterly: This is future soul at its absolute finest utterly sublime.
- truly: The study of the great models of the past serves to show how these masters achieved the truly sublime without falling victim to bathos.
- equally: And this again is an equally sublime spiritual certainty that all men are comic.
- simply: All you really need is the first track which is simply sublime.
- quite: Gervais is also a quite sublime actor, one of the best.
Used with adjective complement
- look: The graphics engine responsible for the stunning home city also handles all the action in the missions, meaning that everything looks sublime.
- taste: There's a good two meals worth here and they taste sublime.
- do: Unlike some existing ink bases derived from natural sources this material has good heat stability and does not sublime.
Preposition: in
way: Writing about it seems nonsense really, as the vision is sublime in all ways.
Browse dictionary entries near sublime
- ‹ sublimate
- ‹ sublieutenant
- ‹ sublethal
- ‹ sublet
- ‹ sublease
- ‹ sublate
- ‹ sublapsarian
- ‹ subkingdom
- ‹ subjunctive
- ‹ subjugated
- subliminal ›
- sublimity ›
- sublingual ›
- sublunary ›
- subluxation ›
- submachine gun ›
- submarginal ›
- submarine ›
- submarine cable ›
- submarine chaser ›

