heavenly

/ˈhevnli/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈhevnli/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈhe-vən-lē/ (ame, mw)

heavenly — adjective

  • heavenlypositive
  • more heavenlycomparative
  • most heavenlysuperlative

1. associated with the place where God is believed to live in some faiths, or relat

1.形容詞B2
釋義

associated with the place where God is believed to live in some faiths, or relating to spiritual beings such as angels who dwell there.

例句

The choir's heavenly singing filled the church with peace and joy.

collocation: heavenly + noun (religious)

Paloma believed her grandmother was now in a heavenly place called paradise.

同義詞
  • divine

    More formal and broader — can mean 'related to a god' without specifying heaven.

  • holy

    Focuses on sacredness and moral purity rather than location.

  • celestial

    Formal term; overlaps with sense 3 of heavenly (astronomical) but also works religiously.

反義詞
  • earthly

    Direct opposite — belonging to the physical world rather than heaven.

  • hellish

    Strong opposite referring to hell rather than heaven.

文法句型

heavenly + noun

be + heavenly

用法筆記

Frequently used as an attributive adjective before nouns like kingdom, light, beings, or father. Unlike sense 3 (celestial), this sense always carries a religious or spiritual meaning.

常見錯誤

❌The heavenly God created the universe.
✅God created the universe.
💡In monotheistic faiths, 'heavenly' is not typically placed directly before 'God'; it is used with things associated with heaven (kingdom, light, beings).
❌She had a heavenly dream about her dead cat.
✅She had a dream about her dead cat.
💡Using 'heavenly' for ordinary dreams can sound exaggerated or confusing; reserve it for explicitly religious contexts in this sense.

2. extremely pleasant or enjoyable, as if the experience is so good that it could o

2.形容詞B1
釋義

extremely pleasant or enjoyable, as if the experience is so good that it could only come from a perfect place.

例句

The chocolate cake was absolutely heavenly — I ate three slices.

predicate adjective: be + absolutely + heavenly

We spent a heavenly week on a quiet beach in the south.

attributive adjective: heavenly + time noun

同義詞
  • wonderful

    More neutral and widely usable in both formal and informal contexts.

  • delightful

    Suggests gentle, charming pleasure; slightly more formal than heavenly.

  • blissful

    Implies deep happiness and peace, often from a quiet or spiritual source.

  • gorgeous

    Applies more to physical appearance; less common for experiences.

文法句型

heavenly + noun

be/feel/sound/taste + heavenly

用法筆記

Used mostly in informal, personal contexts to describe food, weather, holidays, physical sensations, or sensory experiences. Avoid using in formal writing — use 'wonderful' or 'delightful' instead. Subject is usually a sensory experience (taste, smell, feeling) or a pleasurable situation.

常見錯誤

❌The medicine tasted heavenly so I took it.
✅The chocolate tasted heavenly.
💡'Heavenly' is used for things that give pleasure, not for necessary but unpleasant things like medicine.
❌We had a heavenly meeting with the director.
✅We had a productive meeting with the director.
💡'Heavenly' feels too informal and emotional for professional contexts.

3. concerning the stars, planets, and other objects visible in space beyond the ear

3.形容詞C1
釋義

concerning the stars, planets, and other objects visible in space beyond the earth, especially in scientific contexts.

例句

The ancient Greeks studied heavenly bodies such as the sun and moon.

collocation: heavenly bodies (astronomy)

Sivan used her telescope to watch the heavenly objects in the night sky.

collocation: heavenly objects (astronomy)

同義詞
  • celestial

    The more precise scientific term; preferred in academic and technical writing.

  • astronomical

    Specifically relates to the scientific study of stars and planets.

  • stellar

    Narrower — relates specifically to stars, not all sky objects.

文法句型

heavenly + noun (astronomical term)

用法筆記

In modern English, this sense is mostly restricted to astronomy and fixed expressions such as 'heavenly body,' 'heavenly object,' or 'heavenly sphere.' Distinguish from sense 1 (OF HEAVEN), which has religious meaning — use 'celestial' for a purely scientific tone. The everyday word for 'relating to the sky' is simply 'sky' used as a modifier (e.g., 'sky blue').

常見錯誤

❌The heavenly clouds were grey and full of rain.
✅The clouds in the sky were grey and full of rain.
💡In this sense, 'heavenly' refers to stars, planets, and cosmic phenomena, not to everyday weather clouds.
❌We looked at the heavenly stars through binoculars.
✅We looked at the stars through binoculars.
💡'Heavenly' is redundant with 'stars'; use it only when naming the category (heavenly bodies, heavenly objects).