Meaning & use
celestial being
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Meanings
nouncountableliteraryreligion
A divine or heavenly creature, such as an angel, god or spirit, thought to live in the heavens rather than on earth.
Grammar: Countable: a celestial being, many celestial beings.
Patterns
- a celestial being from something
In the myth, a celestial being descends to warn the king.
Many faiths describe celestial beings who guard the gates of heaven.
The painting shows a celestial being surrounded by clouds and light.
nouncountablefigurativehumorous
A person described as having an almost heavenly beauty, wisdom or goodness.
Grammar: A figurative, often playful use.
Patterns
- treated like a celestial being
He talked about his new coach as if she were a celestial being.
To the awestruck fans, the singer seemed like a celestial being.
She glided across the stage like a celestial being.
Word forms
| plural | celestial beings |
|---|
Common combinations
- a divine celestial being
- Ancient poems describe a divine celestial being who made the stars.
- worship celestial beings
- Early cultures worshipped celestial beings linked to the sun and moon.
- encounter a celestial being
- In the legend, the shepherd encounters a celestial being.
- a winged celestial being
- The icon shows a winged celestial being with a trumpet.
- celestial beings of light
- The story speaks of celestial beings of light.
Synonyms and how they differ
- angel
- Angel is the specific term for a heavenly messenger in Christian, Jewish and Islamic traditions, and it is narrower than celestial being.
- deity
- Deity means a god or goddess and is a more formal word than celestial being, which can include lesser spirits.
- spirit
- Spirit is wider and can include ghosts and earthly beings, while celestial being places the creature in the heavens.
- divinity
- Divinity can mean a god or the quality of being godlike, and it is more abstract than celestial being.
Opposites
Word family
Practice
Which of these would most naturally be called a celestial being in a story?
Choose one answer.
Celestial beings belong to heaven or the skies, as angels do. The others are ordinary earthly people.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “celestial being”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.