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otherworldly. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
otherworldly, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
otherworldly in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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English
Etymology
From otherworld + -ly.
Pronunciation
Adjective
otherworldly (comparative more otherworldly, superlative most otherworldly)
- Of, concerned with, or preoccupied with a different world than that of the tangible here and now, such as a heavenly, spiritual, or imaginary world.
- Synonyms: ethereal, mystical, transcendental
1917, H. G. Wells, chapter 5, in God, the Invisible King:Every religion that becomes ascendant, in so far as it is not otherworldly, must necessarily set its stamp upon the methods and administration of the law.
2007 August 26, Clive Davis, “Simphiwe Dana: The One Love Movement on Bantu Biko Street”, in Times of London:Dana has the otherworldly temperament of a mystic.
- Not belonging to the real world; unnatural; odd and unfamiliar.
- Synonym: alien
1919 October, John Galsworthy, chapter VII, in Saint’s Progress, London: William Heinemann, published December 1919, →OCLC, part III, 1 §, page 285:He had not seen cricket played since the war began; it seemed almost other-worldly, with the click of the bats, and the shrill young voices, under the distant drone of that sky-hornet threshing along to Hendon.
2015 April 15, Jonathan Martin, “For a Clinton, It’s Not Hard to Be Humble in an Effort to Regain Power”, in The New York Times:An almost otherworldly resilience has characterized the 40-year arc of the Clintons’ political lives, a well-documented pattern of dazzling success, shattering setback and inevitable recovery.
2021 September 1, Michael Levenson, Anne Barnard, “Scenes from New York City as Ida paralyzes region”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:The sudden inundation from the remnants of Ida transformed familiar scenes of life in New York into otherworldly and waterlogged chaos on Wednesday night.
2024 April 2, Sarfraz Manzoor, quoting Suzi Ronson, “‘Bowie said he’d sell his soul to be famous’: Suzi Ronson on sex, ruthless ambition – and dyeing David’s hair red”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:“David used to say he would sell his soul to be famous,” she says. “But he was also otherworldly – and you couldn’t take your eyes off him.”
Translations
of a different world than that of the here and now