celestial
/səˈlestiəl/ (bre, ipa) · [səlˈɛstʃəl] /səˈlestʃl/ (ame, ipa) · [səlˈɛstʃəl] /sə-ˈles-chəl How to pronounce celestial (audio) -ˈlesh-, -ˈle-stē-əl/ (ame, mw)
celestial — 形容詞
- celestialpositive
- more celestialcomparative
- most celestialsuperlative
1. connected with the sky, stars, or outer space rather than life on earth
天上；天體
與天空、星體或外太空有關
connected with the sky, stars, or outer space rather than life on earth
Liang used a phone app to identify each celestial body above the beach.
Liang 用手機程式辨認海灘上方的每一個天體。
collocation: celestial body
The science teacher drew a celestial map before the class camped overnight.
科學老師在全班露營過夜前畫了一張天體圖。
collocation: celestial map
Sky watchers recorded a bright celestial event over the desert at dawn.
觀星的人在黎明時分記錄下沙漠上空明亮的天上奇景。
A silver celestial glow spread across the lake after the meteor passed.
流星飛過後，一道銀色的天上光輝在湖面擴散開來。
- astronomical
more technical and used mainly for science, measurement, or research
- cosmic
broader and often suggests the whole universe or something very large
- astral
rarer and more literary or mystical than celestial
- earthly
belonging to life on earth rather than the sky or space
- terrestrial
formal scientific opposite meaning connected with the earth
文法句型
celestial + noun
用法筆記
Usually appears before nouns in scientific or literary phrases such as celestial body or celestial map. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is about the physical sky or space, not heaven in a religious sense.
2. coming from heaven, or having the pure and holy quality people connect with heav
天國；神聖
來自天堂，或像天堂般純淨崇高
coming from heaven, or having the pure and holy quality people connect with heaven
The mural showed angels singing in a celestial hall above the clouds.
那幅壁畫畫出天使在雲上方的天國大廳裡歌唱。
celestial + noun in a religious image
Hamza said the temple music had a calm, celestial beauty.
Hamza 說寺院的音樂帶著平靜而神聖的美感。
predicative shade of divine beauty
In the poem, a celestial voice calls the sailors home.
在那首詩裡，一道神聖的聲音呼喚水手回家。
The painter gave the child a celestial light in the final scene.
畫家在最後一幕讓孩子沐浴在神聖的光裡。
文法句型
celestial + noun
be + celestial
用法筆記
Mostly literary or religious. The noun is often something imagined as belonging to heaven, such as light, music, or a voice. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense points to heaven or divinity, not astronomy.
celestial — 名詞
1. a being from heaven or from myth, such as an angel or a similar figure
天人；神靈
住在天界或神話中的存在
a being from heaven or from myth, such as an angel or a similar figure
The legend says a celestial guarded the bridge between two worlds.
傳說說，有一位天人守著兩個世界之間的橋。
a celestial as a countable story figure
Children in the play dressed as celestials with silver wings and crowns.
孩子們在戲裡扮成長著銀色翅膀和皇冠的神靈。
plural form: celestials
Folake painted a celestial beside the moon in her storybook.
Folake 在她的故事書裡，把一位天人畫在月亮旁邊。
The old tale ends when a celestial carries the lost child home.
古老的故事最後，一位神靈把走失的孩子帶回家。
文法句型
a celestial
celestials + plural verb
用法筆記
Usually appears in stories, myths, or fantasy writing rather than everyday conversation. It often suggests a being with special power or a link to the heavens.
2. an old word for a person from China, based on the historical name Celestial Empi
中國人
舊時對中國人的稱呼
an old word for a person from China, based on the historical name Celestial Empire
The museum label explains that Celestial was once used for a Chinese person.
博物館標籤說明，Celestial 曾是對中國人的稱呼。
historical label explained directly
In the old newspaper, the writer called the Chinese cook a Celestial.
在那份老報紙裡，作者把那位中國廚師叫作 Celestial。
call someone a Celestial
Ari asked why the novel used Celestial for a man from China.
Ari 問，為什麼那本小說用 Celestial 指一位來自中國的男子。
The guide said the term Celestial came from the name Celestial Empire.
導覽員說，Celestial 這個詞來自「天朝」這個名稱。
文法句型
call someone a Celestial
use Celestial for + person
用法筆記
Now rare and mainly found in historical writing. Avoid it in modern neutral English; say Chinese person or someone from China instead.