Skip to content

sublime

sublime

adjective soob-LEE-meh Rare
Descriptions & Qualities Quality

Origin: Latin sublimis (elevated, exalted), from sub- + limen (threshold).

Also means

lofty

Usage Note

Sublime is invariable in gender: un paesaggio sublime, una musica sublime. In aesthetics, il sublime (noun) is a key concept from Kant and Romantic philosophy, denoting an overwhelming greatness. In everyday Italian, it can also mean simply 'superb' in an informal register, though its philosophical weight is never entirely lost.

Examples

"La vista dalla cima era sublime."

Natural Translation

The view from the summit was sublime.

Explore Italian by topic