sublime Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb vaporize and then condense right back again
    sublimate.
  2. verb change or cause to change directly from a solid into a vapor without first melting
    sublimate.
    • sublime iodine
    • some salts sublime when heated
  3. adjective satellite inspiring awe
    empyrean; empyreal.
    • well-meaning ineptitude that rises to empyreal absurdity"- M.S.Dworkin
    • empyrean aplomb"- Hamilton Basso
    • the sublime beauty of the night
  4. adjective satellite worthy of adoration or reverence
    reverend.
  5. adjective satellite lifted up or set high
    • their hearts were jocund and sublime"- Milton
  6. adjective satellite of high moral or intellectual value; elevated in nature or style
    idealistic; exalted; noble-minded; elevated; rarefied; rarified; grand; high-flown; high-minded; lofty.
    • an exalted ideal
    • argue in terms of high-flown ideals"- Oliver Franks
    • a noble and lofty concept
    • a grand purpose

WordNet

Sub*lime" adjective
Etymology
L. sublimis; sub under + (perhaps) a word akin to limen lintel, sill, thus meaning, up to the lintel: cf. F. sublime. Cf. Eliminate.
Wordforms
comparative Sublimer ; superlative Sublimest
Definitions
  1. Lifted up; high in place; exalted aloft; uplifted; lofty.
    Sublime on these a tower of steel is reared. Dryden.
  2. Distinguished by lofty or noble traits; eminent; -- said of persons. "The sublime Julian leader." De Quincey.
  3. Awakening or expressing the emotion of awe, adoration, veneration, heroic resolve, etc.; dignified; grand; solemn; stately; -- said of an impressive object in nature, of an action, of a discourse, of a work of art, of a spectacle, etc.; as, sublime scenery; a sublime deed.
    Easy in words thy style, in sense sublime. Prior.
    Know how sublime a thing it is To suffer and be strong. Longfellow.
  4. Elevated by joy; elate. Poetic
    Their hearts were jocund and sublime, Drunk with idolatry, drunk with wine. Milton.
  5. Lofty of mien; haughty; proud. Poetic "Countenance sublime and insolent." Spenser.
    His fair, large front and eye sublime declared Absolute rule. Milton.
    Syn. -- Exalted; lofty; noble; majestic. See Grand.
Sub*lime" noun
Definitions
  1. That which is sublime; -- with the definite article; as: (a) A grand or lofty style in speaking or writing; a style that expresses lofty conceptions.
    The sublime rises from the nobleness of thoughts, the magnificence of words, or the harmonious and lively turn of the phrase. Addison.
    (b) That which is grand in nature or art, as distinguished from the merely beautiful.
Sub*lime" transitive verb
Etymology
Cf. L. sublimare, F. sublimer to subject to sublimation. See Sublime, a., and cf. Sublimate, v. t.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Sublimed ; present participle & verbal noun Subliming
Definitions
  1. To raise on high. Archaic
    A soul sublimed by an idea above the region of vanity and conceit. E. P. Whipple.
  2. (Chem.) To subject to the process of sublimation; to heat, volatilize, and condense in crystals or powder; to distill off, and condense in solid form; hence, also, to purify.
  3. To exalt; to heighten; to improve; to purify.
    The sun . . . Which not alone the southern wit sublimes, But ripens spirits in cold, northern climes. Pope.
  4. To dignify; to ennoble.
    An ordinary gift can not sublime a person to a supernatural employment. Jer. Taylor.
Sub*lime" intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. (Chem.) To pass off in vapor, with immediate condensation; specifically, to evaporate or volatilize from the solid state without apparent melting; -- said of those substances, like arsenic, benzoic acid, etc., which do not exhibit a liquid form on heating, except under increased pressure.

Webster 1913