# What does this word mean to you **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 24, 2012, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126 "2012-06-24T04:09:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126/1 "2012-06-24T04:09:48Z")
There is a common English word. I’d like to know what people think it means. Please give me list of synonyms for this word. Please note, I’m asking for OPINIONS here. Tell me what YOU think the word means. Don’t look it up in a dictionary or Thesaurus. Don’t look at anyone else’s list before posting your own. Please put your list in a spoiler box. Code for spoiler boxes is : [noparse] your list here [/noparse] And the word is: Celestial. I’ll explain the reason for the question later, when I’ve seen some responses. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126/2 "2012-06-24T04:12:59Z")
Knee-jerk thought is the old-fashioned “heavenly,” with the strict astronomical meaning a close second. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126/3 "2012-06-24T04:14:30Z")
1. (adj) Pertaining to the astronomical objects can be observed in the night sky. 2. (adj) Pertaining to Heaven in the sense of it being located in or above the sky; “the angels are celestial beings.” ---
**Author:** ![Svejk\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@Svejk\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svejk_1)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126/4 "2012-06-24T04:16:18Z")
of or pertaining to heaven ---
**Author:** ![leenmi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f1d935/32.png) [@leenmi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leenmi)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126/5 "2012-06-24T04:17:34Z")
Heavenly. Either spiritually or as a reference to the stars. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126/6 "2012-06-24T04:18:35Z")
Of the heavens. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126/7 "2012-06-24T04:21:40Z")
Relating to the skies or the (hypothetical) heavens. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126/8 "2012-06-24T04:31:27Z")
pertaining to heavenly bodies? ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126/9 "2012-06-24T04:32:02Z")
Thanks for the replies so far. Just to clarify: Don’t just stop at one synonym. Give all the meanings you know for the word. And please **use spoiler boxes.** ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126/10 "2012-06-24T04:43:44Z")
Of the heavens. Containing stars. Of the biblical heaven, as a reference to the real galaxies. Edit to add: Considering what ads showed up when I dictionary’d the word, I think I can guess where you’re going with this. And it’s not something I’d thought of, either. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126/11 "2012-06-24T04:44:05Z")
Something above the atmosphere. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126/12 "2012-06-24T04:46:22Z")
Of, or referring to the stars and night sky. ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126/13 "2012-06-24T04:49:41Z")
[spoiler]Astronomical Heavenly That’s all I can think of for now. Basically it means pertaining to the sky or the stars.[/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126/14 "2012-06-24T05:03:36Z")
starry, night sky-ie, heavenish ---
**Author:** ![kmshrader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b782af/32.png) [@kmshrader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kmshrader)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126/15 "2012-06-24T05:09:04Z")
Heavenly. Ethereal. Angelic. ---
**Author:** ![Toucanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Toucanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toucanna)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126/16 "2012-06-24T05:38:25Z")
“heavenly”, typically when discussing concepts in Far Eastern/Asian religions or philosophies ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126/17 "2012-06-24T05:40:36Z")
The best synonym I could think of would be heavenly eta:I think some people use it to describe anything up in space. So they call astronomical objects celestial. But I think the word refers to a spiritual location - heaven as a place up above us not things that are in orbit. And by extension it can be applied to heaven-like objects in other locations - celestial gardens or celestial beings. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126/18 "2012-06-24T05:42:15Z")
Of, or relating to, the stars. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126/19 "2012-06-24T05:42:25Z")
[spoiler]Celestial - having to do with the sky, generally the night sky Stars, planets, etc. Oops, a synonym… atmospheric - no… maybe “galactic”? [/spoiler] Joe ---
**Author:** ![tesseract](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bb73d2/32.png) [@tesseract](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tesseract)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126/20 "2012-06-24T05:49:09Z")
heavenly; also relating to the stars/planets. I don’t think there can be too long of a list; that’s what it means (to me). What else could it mean? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126.md?page=2)