heavenly
gb/hˈɛvənli/ us/hˈɛvənli/
B1
English
~ 3700
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B1
property
1
Extremely pleasant or delightful
Very pleasant and makes you feel very happy.
Usage pattern:
[something] is heavenly
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'heavenly' with 'heavenward', which means 'toward heaven'. They also may overuse it for neutral situations where 'good' or 'nice' would be more natural.
Synonyms
delightful (Similar level of pleasure, but less intense or emotional.)
|
blissful (Emphasizes deep happiness and peace.)
Antonyms
unpleasant (Direct opposite in terms of causing discomfort or dislike.)
|
awful (Strongly negative, the opposite of wonderful.)
Collocations
heavenly smell
|heavenly taste
|heavenly music
|heavenly day
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|taste
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The chocolate cake was absolutely heavenly.
- We enjoyed a heavenly afternoon by the lake.
- This perfume has a heavenly scent that lasts all day.
- After the long hike, the cool water felt heavenly.
Learner examples
- The pizza was heavenly.
- She had a heavenly smile.
- Today is a heavenly day.
- The bed feels heavenly after work.
adjective
B2
property
2
Relating to heaven or God
About heaven or God.
Usage pattern:
[something] is heavenly
Common mistake:
Some learners use 'heavenly' here when they mean 'sky' or 'space', which can be confusing unless talking about religion.
Synonyms
divine (Can mean 'of God' but also 'excellent' in secular use.)
|
celestial (More formal or scientific; can refer to space as well as heaven.)
Antonyms
earthly (Pertaining to the world rather than heaven.)
Collocations
heavenly kingdom
|heavenly Father
|heavenly beings
Themes
religion
Examples
- Believers pray for guidance from their heavenly Father.
- The painting depicts a scene of heavenly peace.
- She spoke about the hope of a heavenly reward.
Learner examples
- He believes in a heavenly life after death.
- They pray to their heavenly Father.
- The church talks about the heavenly kingdom.
adjective
B2
property
3
Relating to the sky or space
About the sky or space.
Usage pattern:
[something] is heavenly
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this with 'heavenly' meaning 'wonderful', which can cause misunderstandings in science contexts.
Synonyms
celestial (More common in scientific and poetic contexts for objects in space.)
Antonyms
terrestrial (Relating to land or Earth instead of space.)
Collocations
heavenly body
|heavenly sphere
|heavenly phenomena
Themes
science
|astronomy
|space
Examples
- The telescope allows us to see distant heavenly bodies.
- Comets are fascinating heavenly phenomena.
- Ancient people mapped the positions of heavenly spheres.
Learner examples
- A star is a heavenly body.
- The moon is a heavenly object.
- Scientists study heavenly bodies.
Grammar
Dictionary form
heavenly
IPA
GB/hˈɛvənli/
US/hˈɛvənli/
Syllables & stress
heav - enly (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (heav)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: heavenly
Word family
Core family
heaven
noun A2
Expressions
heavenly body
1/hˈɛvənli bˈɑdi/
fixed phrase
An object in outer space
A star, planet, moon, or other object in space.
Examples
- The sun is the nearest heavenly body to Earth.
- Astronomers discovered a new heavenly body beyond Pluto.
heavenly Father
1/hˈɛvənli fˈɑðɚ/
fixed phrase
God as father in Christianity
A name Christians use for God.
Examples
- Christians pray to the heavenly Father for guidance.
- She thanked the heavenly Father for her blessings.