All words

nimbus

Sense 1

Meaning

a luminous vapor, cloud, or atmosphere about a god or goddess when on earth

Examples by difficulty

Basic: Simple, everyday vocabulary — the easiest to read.

As she walked through the crowd, people stared in awe. Around her body was a glowing nimbus, almost like a soft light in the air. Without saying a word, she seemed powerful, as if a goddess had come to visit the earth just for a moment.

As she stepped from the chariot, a soft nimbus of light surrounded her. It wasn't just the sun; it felt like a sacred glow, an otherworldly atmosphere marking her presence. Everyone felt the awe, the undeniable grace of a being touched by divinity.

As she stepped forward, the warrior knew something was different. The nimbus around her body glowed with a soft light, marking her as more than human. Her fellow soldiers watched in awe, sensing the divine presence that transformed her from a simple fighter to a chosen messenger of the gods.

When Kevin walked into the party wearing his glowing Halloween costume, everyone stared in disbelief. It looked like he had a nimbus—a crazy, bright cloud floating around him, just like the old stories of gods walking the earth. Even the punch bowl trembled in awe.

The ancient king, clearly a god in disguise, descended from his golden chariot. A bright nimbus shimmered around him, making his toga look extra sparkly. Suddenly, he sneezed, and the magical cloud of fluff tickled everyone's noses, causing a chorus of giggles.

Normal: Standard, everyday language.

As the god descended from the heavens, a nimbus of light surrounded him, illuminating his divine presence and filling the mortal onlookers with awe and reverence.

As the sun peeked through the horizon, the radiant form of Athena emerged. A shimmering nimbus enveloped her, casting a celestial glow upon the battlefield. It seemed as if the goddess herself had descended from Olympus, her presence heralded by this ethereal aura.

As the storm clouds gathered overhead, a dark nimbus of swirling energy began to envelop the ancient temple. The air grew thick with an otherworldly presence, sending shivers down the spines of the villagers who dared to venture near. The sky crackled with electricity, casting an eerie glow upon the stone statues of the gods that lined the courtyard. Suddenly, a figure emerged from the shadows, cloaked in a shimmering nimbus of light that seemed to dance and flicker like flames. It was clear to all who witnessed the spectacle that this was no ordinary being, but a deity in human form.

The golden nimbus around the figure was dazzling, as if the sun itself had descended upon the earth. Awed whispers echoed through the crowd as the divine presence descended upon their realm. The nimbus radiated an overwhelming brilliance, casting long shadows across the sacred ground.

The goddess floated down from the heavens, a nimbus of light surrounding her like a protective shield. Her presence filled the forest with a sense of peace and wonder, as if the very air around her was imbued with magic. The creatures of the forest gathered around her, drawn in by the ethereal glow that seemed to emanate from her very being. She smiled at them, her eyes sparkling with ancient wisdom, and they knew that they were in the presence of a being far beyond their understanding. The nimbus that surrounded her was a reminder of her divine power and grace.

Advanced: Richer vocabulary that stretches an upper-level reader.

When she entered the room, people fell silent, drawn to her as if by an invisible pull. It was not only her confidence that captured attention but a nimbus that seemed to surround her, a luminous cloud that made her seem almost otherworldly, as if a goddess had stepped among them.

A warm nimbus surrounded the healer as she tended to the injured villagers. The air thrummed with a quiet power, and even the most skeptical looked on with a silent awe, sensing something divine in the radiant atmosphere that accompanied her efforts.

As Athena descended from Olympus, a soft nimbus surrounded her, radiating a subtle glow that made nearby soldiers pause and shield their eyes. Her presence felt electric, otherworldly, transforming the mundane battlefield into a sacred space where divine and mortal realms briefly touched.

When Zoe’s cat knocked over the lamp during her yoga session, she toppled onto the floor, accidentally forming what looked like a divine pose. The sunlight streaming through the window bathed her in a glowing nimbus—a luminous vapor, cloud, or atmosphere worthy of any visiting goddess, though her irate scowl rather ruined the heavenly effect.

The particularly corpulent Zeus, attempting a stealthy descent to pilfer a divinity's divine donuts, tripped on a moonbeam. A shimmering, luminous vapor, a veritable nimbus, billowed around him, revealing his embarrassing tumbles to the entire celestial kitchen staff.

Challenging: Rare, high-register vocabulary for serious word lovers.

As the statue’s eyes seemed to follow me, I felt something uncanny in the chapel. A nimbus, that luminous vapor seen in legends whenever gods descend, hovered just above her head. The presence radiated awe, making the mortal space feel suddenly sacred and unapproachable.

A palpable awe descended as the deity materialized. A luminous nimbus, a radiant halo of ethereal vapor, enveloped their form. The mortals present felt an unbidden reverence, a profound sense of the divine presence radiating from the incandescent atmosphere.

In the ancient temple, Athena descended, her nimbus shimmering with an ethereal luminescence that seemed to emanate from her very essence. The marble pillars cast long shadows as her celestial aura enveloped the sacred space, signaling her divine presence among mortals.

When Hera descended for brunch at the mortal café, her nimbus—a shimmering, ostentatious cloud of divine glitter—sparkled so ferociously that the barista slipped on a patch of stardust, and half the patrons mistook her for the harbinger of bottomless mimosas rather than a certified deity.

Aphrodite, in a fit of pique, decided mortal fashion was *utterly* infra dig. Descending in a shimmering nimbus, she materialized mid-catwalk, a divine aura of disdain radiating from her impeccably coiffed head. The mere mortals in attendance blinked, overwhelmed by the luminous vapor.

Difficulty

Normal — Everyday words worth reinforcing.

Sense 2

Meaning

A luminous radiance or circle of light, typically depicted around the head of a sacred figure; also, a dense mass of vapor in the atmosphere that produces precipitation.

Examples by difficulty

Basic: Simple, everyday vocabulary — the easiest to read.

A halo, a bright nimbus, surrounded the saint's head. Then, a dark nimbus formed in the sky, heavy with rain, and the storm broke.

The old farmer looked at the sky, a dark nimbus gathering above the parched fields. He prayed for the rain, remembering the saint in the chapel, her head surrounded by a golden nimbus, a promise of peace.

The old woman's face, etched with a lifetime of hardship, seemed to glow with an inner light, a kind of nimbus. Suddenly, the sky darkened, and the nimbus in the air became a heavy, gray mass, promising a downpour that would drench the parched earth.

The saint, with a big, bright nimbus over his head, looked down at the tiny, soggy dog. The dog, shivering under a dark nimbus cloud, looked back, hoping for a dry biscuit, not holy light.

Barnaby the badger, while attempting to master synchronized napping, accidentally conjured a nimbus above his snoozing head. It wasn't the holy kind; this one dripped gravy. Apparently, his dreams of a bacon buffet were *that* potent.

Normal: Standard, everyday language.

The storm clouds gathered, a vast, dark nimbus blanketing the sky. Then, the first heavy drops began to fall, a sign the dense mass of vapor was ready to release its rain.

The ancient statue's weathered stone seemed to hum with a forgotten power. Around its cracked head, a faint, almost palpable aura shimmered, a ghostly nimbus suggesting divinity. Later, as the sky bruised dark, a heavy nimbus of cloud gathered, promising a drenching downpour on the parched earth below.

The ancient statue of the forgotten god, weathered and chipped, still held a faint nimbus around its carved head, a soft light that seemed to emanate from within. Later, the sky darkened, a heavy nimbus forming overhead, promising the downpour that would finally quench the parched earth.

The saint, despite his halo of nimbus, smelled suspiciously of garlic and regret. This radiant nimbus, usually a sign of divine favor, seemed to amplify the fact that he’d probably just pilfered a whole wheel of cheese.

Barnaby adjusted his tinfoil hat, convinced the humming streetlights were sending him coded messages. He squinted, trying to discern patterns in the hazy glow, a veritable nimbus of streetlamp light forming around his head. He suspected the fluffy, white nimbus clouds overhead were also involved, surely communicating through their ability to dump buckets of rain.

Advanced: Richer vocabulary that stretches an upper-level reader.

The ancient statue’s serene expression was enhanced by a subtle nimbus carved behind its head, a gentle aura of veneration. Outside, the sky darkened, a looming nimbus gathering, promising a downpour that would drench the parched earth.

The monk meditated, a faint nimbus appearing around his tonsured head, a soft glow that seemed to push back the oppressive humidity. Outside, the sky darkened with an ominous nimbus, heavy with rain, promising an end to the parched earth's suffering.

The ancient carving depicted the celestial navigator, a faint nimbus of polished gold encircling its serene face. Beside it, a dark nimbus gathered in the distance, promising a downpour that would quench the parched canyon floor and revive the struggling desert flora.

The saintly chef, renowned for his celestial soufflés, often glowed with a subtle nimbus, a radiant halo that made his kitchen perpetually feel like a sacred space. One particularly ambitious pastry, however, descended into a thick nimbus of steam, drenching the monastery in an unexpected, delicious downpour.

Barnaby, attempting to levitate his pet hamster Bartholomew, found the latter strangely uncooperative. Instead of a halo of divine light, a dense nimbus of dust bunnies and stray sunflower seeds erupted from the rodent, obscuring Barnaby’s vision and necessitating a vigorous sneezing fit.

Challenging: Rare, high-register vocabulary for serious word lovers.

The prophet's face, serene and illuminated by a divine nimbus, seemed to hold the promise of respite. Above, a heavy, coalescing nimbus gathered, its tenebrous mass portending the storm's imminent, cathartic downpour.

The monk, his face a study in placid endurance, sat beneath the perpetually weeping sky. A faint nimbus seemed to emanate from his brow, a testament to an inner peace that defied the deluge. Each drop, heavy with the promise of sustenance, only amplified the pervasive dampness, a stark contrast to the serene aura surrounding him.

The pilgrim, weary from traversing the arid terrain, finally glimpsed the monastery. A soft, ethereal nimbus seemed to emanate from its ancient stone, a promise of respite. Soon, fat drops of rain began to fall from a darkening nimbus overhead, a welcome cascade that replenished the parched earth and cleansed his soul.

The celestial comedian, an ethereal jester, conjured a most prodigious nimbus of shimmering giggles around his halo. Suddenly, the heavenly nimbus shifted, morphing into a torrent of celestial tears and precipitation, drenching the cherubic audience in a downpour of mirthful, aqueous glee.

The celestial rhinoceros, its immense corporeal bulk emanating a divine nimbus, blinked its multifaceted ocular organs at the intergalactic tax auditor. This luminous radiance, a testament to its spiritual probity, did little to mollify the auditor’s stern countenance, which remained resolutely as dense as a nimbus promising a torrential downpour of penalties.

Difficulty

Advanced — Less frequent words that stretch an upper-level vocabulary.

Appears in

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