divine 1 of 3

adjective

də-ˈvīn How to pronounce divine (audio)
Definition of divinenext
1
as in wonderful
of the very best kind how about a piece of the most divine apple pie I've ever tasted!

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in heavenly
of, relating to, or being God for these divine gifts let us be truly thankful

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

divine

2 of 3

noun

as in priest
a person specially trained and authorized to conduct religious services in a Christian church the great influence exerted by the Puritan divines in the Massachusetts Bay Colony

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

divine

3 of 3

verb

as in to anticipate
to realize or know about beforehand it was easy to divine his intention of asking his girlfriend to marry him

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word divine different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of divine are anticipate, foreknow, and foresee. While all these words mean "to know beforehand," divine adds to foresee the suggestion of exceptional wisdom or discernment.

was able to divine Europe's rapid recovery from the war

When could anticipate be used to replace divine?

Although the words anticipate and divine have much in common, anticipate implies taking action about or responding emotionally to something before it happens.

the waiter anticipated our every need

When might foreknow be a better fit than divine?

The synonyms foreknow and divine are sometimes interchangeable, but foreknow usually implies supernatural assistance, as through revelation.

if only we could foreknow our own destinies

When can foresee be used instead of divine?

While the synonyms foresee and divine are close in meaning, foresee implies nothing about how the knowledge is derived and may apply to ordinary reasoning and experience.

economists should have foreseen the recession

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 divine
Adjective
If God is divine Love itself, then hatred, fear, and unloving behavior cannot originate in His likeness. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 24 Aug. 2026 And don’t forget to stop by Siparos in Naousa for a divine dinner with stunning sea views. — Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 20 Aug. 2026
Noun
By suppressing this continuity between the natural and the supernatural realms, Nolan omits much of what makes the Homeric age so different, including the ambience of the divine and the distinctive moral realm that goes with it. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 15 July 2026 His prophetic abilities and insight into the divine are partly from having experienced both life as a woman and life as a man. — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 23 June 2026
Verb
Habermas shares Horkheimer and Adorno’s doubts about such a scheme, which puts too much faith in individuals’ ability to divine truth on their own. — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 15 June 2026 According to Esteve Umbert, one of the architects, Guadì also left geometric clues to help with construction, such as a hyperbolic paraboloid used to divine the shape of a church spire. — Seth Doane, CBS News, 7 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for divine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for divine
  1. wonderful
  2. heavenly
  3. priest
  4. anticipate
  5. excellent
  6. holy
  7. preacher
  8. foresee
Adjective
  • Nature aside, Cape Town boasts a wonderful juxtaposition of old world architecture and contemporary design across its vibrant neighborhoods.
    — Paul Jebara, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Both films had wonderful ensembles, ingenious writing and an unmistakable sense of occasion.
    — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of wonderful
Adjective
  • Luzzi’s heavenly version is layered with almond, fig, honey and bavaroise.
    — Ann Lee, TheWeek, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Mixed Bag Birds, Hell’s Canyon, Idaho Extreme western Idaho is the place to enjoy a heavenly upland bird hunt in Hell.
    — Ron Spomer, Outdoor Life, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of heavenly
Noun
  • In 1972, William Christopher joined the cast of M*A*S*H as Father John Mulcahy, the Catholic priest who serves as the Army chaplain.
    — Rachel Flynn, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026
  • For the traditional Telugu Hindu ceremony, their priest translated Sanskrit to English in real time, and the mandap was designed as a circle to represent how life flows into itself for eternity.
    — Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of priest
Verb
  • The arch will disturb the sightline between more landmarks than anticipated, the report said.
    — Matthew Daly, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Reliable, independent government reporting is an important part of the information infrastructure businesses use to understand labor supply, anticipate change and make workforce decisions.
    — Sheila Callaham, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of anticipate
Adjective
  • Alas, this excellent advice goes into one of Joe’s ears and out the other.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Owls are predators whose eyes are positioned on the front of their heads, giving them excellent depth perception.
    — Abigail Witmer, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of excellent
Adjective
  • The first few generations of holy men who led Idaho’s congregations died, and no one took their place.
    — Audrey Dutton, ProPublica, 25 Aug. 2026
  • And make this little holy moment for yourself, this little spiritual realization of a kind of balance or play in your physical environment and that will heal you.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of holy
Noun
  • In the movie, a local brothel — the Devil’s Playhouse — becomes the target of a TV preacher, forcing the town’s sheriff, who happens to be a frequent customer, to save it.
    — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The son of a former preacher, the South Carolina native grew up around music.
    — Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of preacher
Verb
  • Quarter-sized hail (1 inch) is foreseen with the incoming storm.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Not long ago, Phillies management foresaw Miller as Bohm’s inevitable replacement.
    — Anthony Stitt, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of foresee

Browse Nearby Words

divinations
divine
divined
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Divine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/divine. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on divine

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about divine

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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

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

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused 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

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
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