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sublime

Pronunciation: /səˈblʌɪm/

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Definition of sublime

adjective (sublimer, sublimest)

1of very great excellence or beauty:Mozart’s sublime piano concertos (as noun the sublime)experiences that ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous
producing an overwhelming sense of awe or other high emotion through being vast or grand: (as noun the sublime)a sense of the sublime

2(of a person’s attitude or behaviour) extreme or unparalleled:he had the sublime confidence of youth

verb

1 [no object] Chemistry (of a solid substance) change directly into vapour when heated, typically forming a solid deposit again on cooling: the ice sublimed away, leaving the books dry and undamaged
[with object] cause (a substance) to sublime:these crystals could be sublimed under a vacuum

2 [with object] archaic elevate to a high degree of moral or spiritual purity or excellence: let your thoughts be sublimed by the spirit of God

Derivatives

sublimely
sublimity

Origin:

late 16th century (in the sense 'dignified, aloof'): from Latin sublimis, from sub- 'up to' + a second element perhaps related to limen 'threshold', limus 'oblique'

sublime in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of sublime in the US English dictionary

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Other

sublime

adjective (sublimer, sublimest)

verb

Derivatives

sublimely

sublimity

Origin:

sublime in other Oxford dictionaries

Nearby words

More results for sublime

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