1
as in temporal
having to do with life on earth especially as opposed to that in heaven
a time of year when people shouldn't focus on fleshly concerns, but instead on spiritual matters
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2
as in physical
of or relating to the human body
the fleshly eye sees the only finished painting, but the mind's eye sees the genius behind its creation
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in sensual
pleasing to the physical senses
returning campers looking forward to all the fleshly pleasures of home, including warm baths
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Recent Examples of fleshly
What the world desires, in short, is a glimpse of a video game, which no one will be able to play until 2025—a game that builds an entire alternative world, glowing with the promise of violence and other fleshly thrills.
—
Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2023
But the album offers more than deliciously hedonistic thrills: Thrusting us into their operatic world, this Brooklyn band makes peace with their dark memories and fleshly desires.
—Pitchfork, 6 Dec. 2023
When another girl, Addie (Mia Pak), tries to explain Jesus’ status as the Son of God—fully fleshly and fully divine—as the meeting of horizontal and vertical lines at the overlapping center of a Venn diagram, Beatrice fisks the idea earnestly.
—Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2022
The grateful nutcracker becomes a living prince and leads Clara through a spinning snowstorm of ballerinas to a sugary kingdom where flamenco-style dancers spin with twisting torsos and entwining arms as fleshly embodiments of Spanish chocolate.
—Sarah L. Kaufman, Washington Post, 25 Nov. 2022
There is a leveling effect to his approach, one that allows About Endlessness to find grandeur in the smallest of everyday moments while also highlighting the fallible, fleshly absurdity of even history’s most outsize figures.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2021
They were tempted by curiosity and hunger, by fleshly desires.
—Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, The New Yorker, 18 Jan. 2021
When all seems lost, a magical, fleshly reappearance defies death’s despair.
—Longreads, 14 Apr. 2020
Our fleshly forms evolved to work within the tug of gravity.
—National Geographic, 12 June 2019
Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2023
But the album offers more than deliciously hedonistic thrills: Thrusting us into their operatic world, this Brooklyn band makes peace with their dark memories and fleshly desires.
—Pitchfork, 6 Dec. 2023
When another girl, Addie (Mia Pak), tries to explain Jesus’ status as the Son of God—fully fleshly and fully divine—as the meeting of horizontal and vertical lines at the overlapping center of a Venn diagram, Beatrice fisks the idea earnestly.
—Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2022
The grateful nutcracker becomes a living prince and leads Clara through a spinning snowstorm of ballerinas to a sugary kingdom where flamenco-style dancers spin with twisting torsos and entwining arms as fleshly embodiments of Spanish chocolate.
—Sarah L. Kaufman, Washington Post, 25 Nov. 2022
There is a leveling effect to his approach, one that allows About Endlessness to find grandeur in the smallest of everyday moments while also highlighting the fallible, fleshly absurdity of even history’s most outsize figures.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2021
They were tempted by curiosity and hunger, by fleshly desires.
—Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, The New Yorker, 18 Jan. 2021
When all seems lost, a magical, fleshly reappearance defies death’s despair.
—Longreads, 14 Apr. 2020
Our fleshly forms evolved to work within the tug of gravity.
—National Geographic, 12 June 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fleshly
Adjective
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The camerlengo also administers the goods and temporal rights of the Holy See until a new pope is chosen.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Apr. 2025
-
Unlike image or text generation, music operates within strict temporal and structural constraints.—
Rowan Briggs,
Mercury News,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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That's according to researchers at the University of Missouri (Mizzou), who made a specific discovery about physical activity's brain benefits.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2025
-
Rather than bearing imagery of the state or the monarchy, Elisabeth’s portraits were focused on her defining physical features, particularly her long, flowing hair.—
Elizabeth Djinis,
Smithsonian Magazine,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Julius’s secretive couplings with a Latino gambler (Diego Calva) are discreet, never sensual like Hernández’s nude compositions.—
Armond White,
National Review,
25 Apr. 2025
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The track stirred controversy at the time for its use of Catholic religious imagery in a sensual context.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
People.com,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Lynch’s blend of mundane details heightened by dream logic was there from the very beginning.—
Brian Tallerico,
Vulture,
18 Apr. 2025
-
Their philosophy centered on reimagining the mundane in ways that challenge perception, invite interaction and infuse humor into urban spaces.—
Courtney Lane,
Kansas City Star,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
That’s why Florida must implement mandatory bodily injury (BI) liability insurance.—
Richard D Schuler,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2025
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Tune into any bodily responses (ease, tension, vitality, etc.).—
Nancy Zamierowski,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
To remove any terrestrial water the 50-year-old samples would have absorbed since their return to Earth, Yeo and her team baked the samples overnight in a vacuum furnace.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
25 Apr. 2025
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Scientists are concerned with how abiogenesis — the inception of life from non-living matter — could have occurred in the first place; some theories state that certain environments on Earth, like hydrothermal vents deep in the ocean or terrestrial hot springs, drove prebiotic processes.—
Jack Knudson,
Discover Magazine,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Oscar Isaac’s casting raised eyebrows among some fans from the start: A man of mixed Cuban and Guatemalan descent, Isaac was cast as Marc Spector, a Jewish character draped in Egyptian mythology (Moon Knight is the earthly avatar of the Egyptian god Khonshu).—
Nola Pfau,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2025
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Its layout also ties the home to its earthly landscape; the living room is inspired by the Native American wigwam, with elements including a central fireplace and a hole in the top to let the smoke out.—
Chloe Arrojado,
AFAR Media,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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One study of about 200 Korean scientists found that animal researchers had significantly higher anxiety scores than non-animal researchers.—
Celia Ford,
Vox,
3 Mar. 2025
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Ramping up surveillance Experts say the U.S. needs to boost its surveillance and detection systems now that there are more animal and human cases of D1.1.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
14 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fleshly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fleshly. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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