cosmic

Meanings

1. 1adjectivebefore a noun

   Relating to the universe or outer space beyond the Earth.

   Grammar: Almost always before a noun: cosmic rays.

   Patterns

   • cosmic rays
   • cosmic dust

   Astronomers detected cosmic radiation from a distant galaxy.

   Cosmic dust drifts between the stars.

   The telescope studies cosmic events billions of years old.

2. 2adjectivebefore a nounfigurative

   Extremely large or important, as if on the scale of the whole universe.

   Grammar: Often used figuratively: of cosmic importance.

   Patterns

   • of cosmic importance

   It was a decision of cosmic importance to the family.

   The film tells a story of cosmic proportions.

   He felt a cosmic sense of calm.

Common combinations

cosmic rays

Cosmic rays pass through the atmosphere all the time.

cosmic dust

Cosmic dust settles on mountaintops.

cosmic scale

The explosion happened on a cosmic scale.

cosmic joke

It felt like a cosmic joke that it rained on our wedding day.

cosmic background radiation

Cosmic background radiation is leftover light from the early universe.

Synonyms and how they differ

universal

Universal means applying everywhere or to everyone, and not necessarily to space.

astronomical

Astronomical often describes huge numbers or prices, while cosmic refers to the universe itself.

celestial

Celestial is poetic and relates to the sky or heavens, rather than the universe in general.

vast

Vast just means very large and does not link to space.

Opposites

Word family

cosmos noun

the universe seen as an ordered whole

cosmology noun

the study of the universe's origin and structure

cosmonaut noun

a Russian astronaut

cosmically adverb

on a universal scale

cosmopolitan adjective

at home in many parts of the world

Commonly confused: cosmic or cosmetic?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “cosmic”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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