TRANSCENDENT Synonyms: 115 Similar and Opposite Words

transcendent

adjective

tran(t)-ˈsen-dənt

Definition of transcendent

as in transcendental

of, relating to, or being part of a reality beyond the observable physical universe a firm belief in angels, demons, and other transcendent beings

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in superhuman

being so extraordinary or abnormal as to suggest powers which violate the laws of nature the star player's transcendent performance helped the team to a surprise victory

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 transcendent The tense and agonizing switch is a pure state of melodrama, a transcendent form of tragedy striking in the banal core of workaday society. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2026 Even in space, hundreds of miles above Earth, hurtling at thousands of miles per hour, astronauts working hard to make progress for humanity are able to find brief moments of transcendent beauty. — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 22 Sep. 2026 The objection reflects how radically the perception of Khrzhanovsky’s Dau experiment has shifted over the course of two decades — from transcendent art project to exploitative scandal to, now, geopolitical lightning rod. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026 Four humble ingredients come together inside a tortilla to make something transcendent — melty, fluid, fleetingly crunchy, soft, toothsome, rich and filling. — Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for transcendent

Recent Examples of Synonyms for transcendent

Adjective

Call it transcendental, the character’s deepening sense of luminosity, the way his empathy heightens as his consciousness expands.

— David L. Ulin, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
Users seeking transcendental sources of insight do not know or care how the oracle came up with its responses.

— Ambuj Tewari, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of transcendental

Adjective

In polyphonic music such as Bach, Van Bloss offers a superhuman degree of precision and individuality.

— Mike Hamersly, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026
The Dodgers entered the postseason with the best rotation of any team on paper, led by Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who proved to be practically superhuman in the World Series last year.

— Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of superhuman

Adjective

Consider a ghost tour of Merchant’s House, a residence turned museum where supernatural phenomena have been reported since the death of its last occupant, in 1933.

— Dan Stahl, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
The film draws on 1980s supernatural comedies, including Back to the Future, Ghostbusters and The Addams Family, alongside classic monster movies and horror spoofs.

— Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of supernatural

Adjective

In 2026, the gemlike Brooklyn venue lent Kushner’s project a magical quality, turning the audience into ghosts from the future, eavesdropping on the fall of the Weimar Republic but unable to intervene.

— Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
But the familiarity of the fantasy elements and the brusqueness with which they’re treated would be forgivable if Wildwood did a better job exploring how the real world connects to the magical side of the story.

— Alison Willmore, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of magical

Adjective

This entry is almost too broad, but no trip to Jackson is complete without a trip through this miraculous wonder—whether on foot, wheels, or water.

— Lindsay Cohn, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026
Many participate in the miraculous art of flying and maintaining enormous airplanes, or picking up cargo to take across our greater multi-county region of millions.

— Daniel Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of miraculous

Adjective

The latter perhaps most acutely reflected such dominant motifs in Gibson’s midcareer work as female figures, birds, and metaphysical reflectors.

— The Editors of ARTnews, ARTnews.com, 20 Oct. 2026
The best moments on records like Redemption, Blackheart, and Second Line use her knack for grand, metaphysical metaphors to charge her singing with epic stakes.

— Stephen Kearse, Pitchfork, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of metaphysical

Adjective

For many people, however, the presentation instead bears an uncanny and unfortunate resemblance to imagery used in Nazi-era Germany.

— Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
The man does seem to have an uncanny ability to pick projects that will have a long shelf life — everything from Up in Smoke and Harold and Maude to Singles, Steel Magnolias, Poison Ivy, and Contact.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of uncanny

Browse Nearby Words

transcendency

transcendent

transcendental

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Transcendent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/transcendent. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of transcendent

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

shindig

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes