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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective sublime contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of sublime are glorious, gorgeous, resplendent, splendid, and superb. While all these words mean "extraordinarily or transcendently impressive," sublime implies an exaltation or elevation almost beyond human comprehension.

a vision of sublime beauty

When can glorious be used instead of sublime?

The synonyms glorious and sublime are sometimes interchangeable, but glorious suggests radiance that heightens beauty or distinction.

a glorious sunset

When would gorgeous be a good substitute for sublime?

Although the words gorgeous and sublime have much in common, gorgeous implies a rich splendor especially in display of color.

a gorgeous red dress

When is resplendent a more appropriate choice than sublime?

The words resplendent and sublime are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, resplendent suggests a glowing or blazing splendor.

resplendent in her jewelry

Where would splendid be a reasonable alternative to sublime?

The meanings of splendid and sublime largely overlap; however, splendid implies outshining the usual or customary.

the wedding was a splendid occasion

When is it sensible to use superb instead of sublime?

While the synonyms superb and sublime are close in meaning, superb suggests an excellence reaching the highest conceivable degree.

her singing was superb

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sublime Time to get your classical musical theater wings in this silly, sublime tale of the ultimate matchmaker who just might find her match. Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 18 May 2025 Come for breakfast or a light lunch and stay for their dazzling cheese selection—over 150 varieties served with the kind of attention to detail that makes even a simple sandwich feel sublime. Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 24 Apr. 2025 DeGrom spotted a sublime slider at the bottom of Jeremy Peña’s strike zone. Chandler Rome, New York Times, 16 May 2025 Collectivity could be our ultimate destiny: the community ritual of bodies attached to sublime music (and electronic dance music is more beautiful than many skeptics realize), the dispensability of the nuclear family in a world of greater co-operative labor and nurturing. David Katz, IndieWire, 16 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for sublime
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sublime
Adjective
  • Overwhelmingly, the pictures portrayed manual work as a noble, even romantic enterprise.
    Chris Wiley, New Yorker, 31 May 2025
  • Florentine society had changed a good deal since the days of their illustrious ancestor; noble blood had in fact become something of a liability.
    The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 29 May 2025
Adjective
  • There isn’t a huge amount of that, but the fact that the robots are fighting at all is astonishing.
    John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
  • Regardless of his personal situation, what Enrique has done to this PSG side has been nothing short of astonishing.
    Ben Church, CNN Money, 1 June 2025
Adjective
  • This week’s must reads More great reads Mexico judicial elections: Government calls it essential reform.
    Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2025
  • Erica’s great grandfather was one of a group of 15 that formed a wine cooperative in Sant’Antioco in 1932, the first in Sardinia.
    Tom Mullen, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
Adjective
  • My daughter came to live with us for nine wonderful years.
    Jack Lang, New York Times, 27 May 2025
  • Your wonderful dog may or may not hanker to break routine and go on holiday.
    John Oseid, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
Adjective
  • This includes New Jersey, which boasts the highest average earnings in the U.S. Higher wages can often result in better health insurance from an employer, less fear about medical debt and less reliance on state and federal health care services like Medicaid and Medicare.
    Sophie Clark, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025
  • Non-Maintainable Systems Lack of clean code structure, high entropy in the codebase, absence of modularity, dependency chaos, difficult debugging and lack of documentation can occur when applying vibe coding without a core engineering mindset.
    Naresh Prajapati, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
Adjective
  • Following the amazing Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake from the end of last year, the other two parts of the Erdrick Trilogy are being combined into one game.
    Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
  • There’s still men — there’s Benson, who’s doing amazing.
    Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2025
Adjective
  • Each year, Scouts, Scouters, veterans and other community groups from all over the Bay Area gather in tribute to these gallant men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our country.
    Karl Mondon, Mercury News, 25 May 2025
  • Curiosity is an optimistic treasure hunt—a gallant search that occurs without proof or guarantee.
    Chip Bell, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
Adjective
  • The three most colossal creatures across land, sea and air within that tropical biosphere hold, in their DNA, the key to a drug that will bring miraculous life-saving benefits to humankind.
    Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 2 June 2025
  • Still, Maye was able to make a miraculous pass for the first down, throwing against the grain.
    Ted Nguyen, New York Times, 2 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sublime.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sublime. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

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