nimbus

noun

ˈnim-bəs How to pronounce nimbus (audio)
Definition of nimbusnext
1
as in aura
a special quality or impression associated with something fans are inevitably disappointed when the nimbus of glamour about their favorite celebrity turns out to be an illusion

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in glory
an artistic rendering of radiant light around the head or body of a sacred personage the nimbi for the sculpted figures around the exterior of the church are simple disks about the saints' heads

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 nimbus Beethoven’s music acquired its nimbus of divinity and settled into these capacious Xanadus. — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 16 Oct. 2024 The Ottoman artist chose to depict the prophet’s purity through the use of white fabrics, and his entire being as touched by the light of God via the large flaming nimbus that encircles his body. — Christiane Gruber, The Conversation, 9 Jan. 2023 All these flat shapes are limned by dark lines — the reverse of the delicate nimbus of light surrounding them in the original. — Washington Post, 4 Jan. 2023 O’Connell — Didi, to her intimates — is petite and nimble, with a queenly nimbus of red hair and a default expression, offstage anyway, of intent curiosity. — New York Times, 17 June 2022 See All Example Sentences for nimbus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nimbus
  1. aura
  2. glory
  3. atmosphere
  4. halo
  5. air
  6. aureole
Noun
  • The Melbourne duo taps into trip-hop’s essential strangeness on its latest album, trading the genre’s boilerplate languor for dejected moods, menacing auras, and slippery, all-consuming bass.
    — Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Only one copy will ever legally exist, in a protest against the loss of music’s aura in the age of its digital reproducibility, to paraphrase German philosopher Walter Benjamin.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of aura
Noun
  • In reality, there are no heroes and no glory, only worlds that collapse and dreams that shatter.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Behold, here on the Hudson Theatre stage, the 11-time Emmy winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus in all her quipping glory.
    — Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of glory
Noun
  • An untitled 2026 work, featuring a bromeliad goddess, inhabits a different atmosphere.
    — Tatiane de Assis, ARTnews.com, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Rooms Las Alcobas offers a moody-luxe atmosphere with a touch of Mexican influence throughout its 35 surprisingly spacious suites and three penthouses, where dark rosewood and fresh, fragile orchids take center stage.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of atmosphere
Noun
  • The SpaceX plan The biggest ask SpaceX engineers had in meetings with NASA in early 2026 was removing the requirement to dock with Orion in a near-rectilinear halo orbit around the Moon.
    — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Researchers therefore need simulations that combine enormous volumes with enough resolution to capture dark matter halos, the structures in which galaxies form.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of halo
Noun
  • Earlier this month, Ukrainian drones connected to Starshield lost connectivity at high speeds, disrupting air defenses during daily Russian air attacks.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
  • This position causes the moonlight to pass through a denser layer of air, shortening blue and violet wavelengths and making the orange and red ones stand out — similar to a sunset.
    — Dharma Niles, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of air
Noun
  • It is bordered by hummocky deposits, called aureoles, that were formed by landslides from the mountain.
    — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 20 May 2025
  • Jacob knew from photographs the goblin face, the aureole of whitening hair.
    — Lan Samantha Chang, Harper's Magazine, 14 Aug. 2023
Definition of aureole

Browse Nearby Words

nimbly
nimbus
nimiety
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Cite this Entry

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

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More from Merriam-Webster on nimbus

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about nimbus

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