divine 1 of 3

adjective

də-ˈvīn How to pronounce divine (audio)
Definition of divinenext
1
as in wonderful
of the very best kind how about a piece of the most divine apple pie I've ever tasted!

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in heavenly
of, relating to, or being God for these divine gifts let us be truly thankful

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

divine

2 of 3

noun

as in priest
a person specially trained and authorized to conduct religious services in a Christian church the great influence exerted by the Puritan divines in the Massachusetts Bay Colony

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

divine

3 of 3

verb

as in to anticipate
to realize or know about beforehand it was easy to divine his intention of asking his girlfriend to marry him

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word divine different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of divine are anticipate, foreknow, and foresee. While all these words mean "to know beforehand," divine adds to foresee the suggestion of exceptional wisdom or discernment.

was able to divine Europe's rapid recovery from the war

When could anticipate be used to replace divine?

Although the words anticipate and divine have much in common, anticipate implies taking action about or responding emotionally to something before it happens.

the waiter anticipated our every need

When might foreknow be a better fit than divine?

The synonyms foreknow and divine are sometimes interchangeable, but foreknow usually implies supernatural assistance, as through revelation.

if only we could foreknow our own destinies

When can foresee be used instead of divine?

While the synonyms foresee and divine are close in meaning, foresee implies nothing about how the knowledge is derived and may apply to ordinary reasoning and experience.

economists should have foreseen the recession

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of divine
Adjective
The Grammys airing on his birthday is divine timing because none of this could be created by a human’s calendar. — Preezy Brown, Rolling Stone, 19 Oct. 2026 These bog bodies tell stories of a time when humans were sacrificed to the gods in bogs, as otherworldly margins between the human and divine realms, or when social outcasts met a cruel, violent end for failing to conform to societal standards. — Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
Noun
These include her grandfather, a Danish Resistance fighter during World War II, a concentration camp survivor, priest, and author who sought the divine on solitary nature walks. — Heller McAlpin, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Sep. 2026 The title establishes the spiritual foundation of the franchise, which centers on Lord Shri Krishna and depicts what the studio describes as an expansive spiritual universe built around devotion, dharma and the bond between humanity and the divine. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026
Verb
Habermas shares Horkheimer and Adorno’s doubts about such a scheme, which puts too much faith in individuals’ ability to divine truth on their own. — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 15 June 2026 According to Esteve Umbert, one of the architects, Guadì also left geometric clues to help with construction, such as a hyperbolic paraboloid used to divine the shape of a church spire. — Seth Doane, CBS News, 7 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for divine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for divine
  1. wonderful
  2. heavenly
  3. priest
  4. anticipate
  5. excellent
  6. holy
  7. preacher
  8. foresee
Adjective
  • An itinerary of hikes, wine tastings, and a sunset cruise offering incredible views of the Santa Barbara coastline is a wonderful way to end the day, while a cozy house with a garden will add to everyone’s enjoyment.
    — Vogue, Vogue, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The improbable evening turned into a moving tribute to both Capra himself and his tale of the suicidal banker George Bailey, who comes to realize that his life has indeed been wonderful.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of wonderful
Adjective
  • The delectable dip paired with the sugary chips was a heavenly combination, with a surprising burst of chocolate in every scoop.
    — Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The duo think they’re headed to the heavenly afterlife only to arrive at the office of the Devil (voiced by Culkin), who seems overwhelmed by his job.
    — Marlow Stern, Variety, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of heavenly
Noun
  • In an email sent to priests of the archdiocese on Saturday afternoon and shared with NPR, Archbishop Ronald Hicks also said the deal had not yet been signed but that an agreement had been reached with plaintiffs and their attorneys.
    — Chandelis Duster, NPR, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The Georgetown initiative focuses on descendants of slaves sold by Georgetown's Jesuit priests to slaveholders in Louisiana.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of priest
Verb
  • Eventually, an edict from the top came that existing attorneys should not anticipate additions to the court teams, according to one source.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2026
  • That signal can be aggregated, correlated, and exploited by hostile foreign intelligence services to anticipate our movements, targets, and timing.
    — Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of anticipate
Adjective
  • His 28-yard touchdown reception from Sam Darnold late in the second quarter beat Delane, who had excellent position.
    — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The biggest key for the Brewers in this game is to see if their bullpen can keep their excellent pitching alive.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of excellent
Adjective
  • The Egyptian presidency said Cairo was prepared to provide Saudi Arabia with necessary support to defend its security, stability, territorial integrity and Islamic holy sites.
    — Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The holy man was eventually burned at the stake as a heretic.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of holy
Noun
  • The preacher was arrested in 2023 after police received a tip-off, and weeks later authorities began uncovering bodies in shallow graves in the Shakahola Forest near the coast in southeastern Kenya.
    — Jefferson Kahinju Reuters, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
  • In the background of a gut-wrenching new album from Teller Bank$, there’s a preacher who sees himself in the biblical parable of Noah’s ark.
    — Olivier Lafontant, Pitchfork, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of preacher
Verb
  • But getting swept off your feet by someone who’s effectively a nearly seven-foot tree is, of course, rarely foreseen.
    — Kenneal Patterson, Vanity Fair, 14 Oct. 2026
  • But the Kuvshynovs and their legal team say what happened to their daughter was preventable — and foreseen.
    — David Folkenflik, NPR, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of foresee

Browse Nearby Words

divinations
divine
divined
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Cite this Entry

“Divine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/divine. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about divine

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