sublimate
verb
Simple meaning
To modify the natural expression of a sexual or primitive instinct in a socially acceptable way.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
suhblymuhtSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
səbˈlaɪmət
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
intransitivefigurativepsychoanalysis
To modify the natural expression of a sexual or primitive instinct in a socially acceptable manner; to divert the energy of such an instinct into some acceptable activity.
transitivealso figurative
To raise (someone) to a high office or status; to dignify, to elevate, to exalt.
transitiveby extension
(figurative) To refine (something) until it disappears or loses all meaning.
transitivechiefly passive voice
To change (a substance) from a gas into a solid through sublimation.
Change or cause to change directly from a solid into a vapor without first melting
transitivefigurative
To raise something to a state of excellence; to improve.
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: (by extension) (figurative) To refine (something) until it disappears or loses all meaning.
Used this way, sublimate is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: to modify the natural expression of a sexual
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.