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

Relevance
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
  • But some families are dysfunctional and Manchester United have that aura of doom-loop about them.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Mexican YouTuber Alex Crashers described encountering an aura battle in Mexico in a video shared this week.
    — Mitchell McCluskey, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of aura
Noun
  • But the island’s class divide isn’t just about dirt bike races for glory and bonfire fistfights anymore.
    — CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The program rehired Rich Rodriguez, who sparked those 2000s glory days and had the Mountaineers one win away from the BCS title game in 2007, to get the program back on track.
    — Antonio Morales, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of glory
Noun
  • The smoke is not expected to affect any major airports, even though smoke from a loft will remain in the atmosphere on Wednesday.
    — Lauren Bostwick, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Outside the shrines, though, the atmosphere is almost festive.
    — Jane Arraf, NPR, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of atmosphere
Noun
  • Adidas The German sportswear giant carried a halo from this summer’s World Cup, serving as an official FIFA sponsor and the outfitter for both finalists, Spain and Argentina.
    — Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Like most protective styles, halo braids are incredibly versatile, with plenty of room to make the look your own.
    — Ariel Baker, InStyle, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of halo
Noun
  • Russia's Defense Ministry said its air defenses overnight intercepted and destroyed 351 Ukrainian drones over eight Russian regions, as well as occupied Crimea and the waters of the Azov and the Black Seas.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Musk, Kushner, and air defenses On air defenses, Zelensky contrasted the number of Patriot missiles supplied in 2023 – which was 675 – with the forecast number of 264 this year.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 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
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on nimbus

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about nimbus

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of cogent

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

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

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

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All