numinous
nu·min·ous/ˈn(j)umənəs/adjective
numinous is spelled N-U-M-I-N-O-U-S: 8 letters and 3 syllables (nu·min·ous). It appears about once in every 10 million words in written English, the 94,827th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, numinous means “Of or relating to a numen (divinity); indicating the presence of a divinity” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in numinous?
| Letters | 8: N-U-M-I-N-O-U-S |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: nu·min·ous |
| In writing | about once in every 10 million words; the 94,827th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is numinous?
Numinous appears about once in every 10 million words in written English, the 94,827th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce numinous?
- UK /ˈnjuːmɪnəs/
- US /ˈn(j)umənəs/
Numinous has 3 syllables, split nu·min·ous in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-numinous.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with numinous?
One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as numinous from its last stressed vowel (/umənəs/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of numinous
- more numinous comparative
- most numinous superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does numinous mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Of or relating to a numen (divinity); indicating the presence of a divinity.
His interest in numinous objects led him on a quest for the Holy Grail.
- 2
Evoking a sense of the mystical, sublime, or transcendent; awe-inspiring.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Numinous in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense of or relating to a numen (divinity); indicating the presence of a divinity:
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does numinous come from?
From Latin nūmen (“nod of the head; divine sway or will; divinity”) + -ous (suffix forming adjectives from nouns, denoting possession or presence of a quality). Nūmen is believed to derive either from Latin *nuō (“to nod”) or from Ancient Greek νοούμενον (nooúmenon, “influence perceptible by the mind but not the senses”) (ultimately from νόος (nóos, “mind; thought; purpose”)).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).