NATURE’S BEAUTY

10 words to describe the indescribable beauty of nature

Image: Karl Anderson

The wonders of nature can’t be fully described. No person alive can explain the myriad of feelings that overcome us when we gaze upon a particularly breathtaking landscape. The magnificence of the Great Canyon and the splendor of the Northern Lights truly have a way of eluding words. Having said that, who’s to say that we can’t at least try? While nature can’t be explained by words, we have listed in this article a few instances in which nature influenced or inspired the creation of beautiful words that try their best to describe it.

Image: Filipe Resmini

Ever taken a midnight stroll by a lake or a stream? Or maybe just sit by yourself next to a moonlit pool, relaxing in the silence only broken by the chirps of crickets? In both of these idyllic situations, you might have noticed a trail of moonlight shining on the water. The word moonglade is used to describe this charming phenomenon. The magnificence of the moonglade tends to be as striking as the darkness that surrounds it.

Image: Jason D

This word doesn’t refer to a natural phenomenon, but rather to a system that involves nature. The word Èit comes from an ancient Gaelic practice in which quartz stones were placed in streams so that they would sparkle in the moonlight. While this word has a practical aspect to its meaning (the stones were placed to attract salmon), it is rather remarkable that such a small word can conjure up such beautiful imagery.

Image: Jeremy Thomas

This one is a little more commonly used, but that doesn’t make it any less captivating. Merriam-Webster defines celestial as "relating to the sky or visible heavens", as well as anything "suggesting heaven or divinity." Part of the charm of this word comes from how both of these meanings seem to effortlessly combine: Celestial is the perfect word to picture the indescribable wonder one feels when watching a star-filled sky. One might even hear a piece of celestial music, or contemplate the celestial beauty of a painting, and rediscover this feeling of heavenliness.

Image: Joseph Young

Evergreen plants and trees are those that retain their leaves through the seasons. The word itself exudes resilience: no matter how cold the weather gets, evergreen flora maintain their brightness and splendor. Popular evergreen plants include lavenders, bergenias, and rhododendrons.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, this adjective can also be used to describe something "universally and continually relevant." An evergreen article, for instance, is one that continues to be popular or interesting over time. Can this article you are reading right now prove itself to be evergreen? Only time will tell.

Image: Jessica Lewis

This one has a relatively new (and adorable) origin, and we hope that it might someday be an everyday word. In his book Landmarks, writer and academic Robert Macfarlane recalls meeting a five-year-old girl who coined the term honeyfur to describe "the soft seeds of grasses pinched between fingertips." One can’t help but be amazed at how such a young person can so perfectly describe the tickling sensation that comes from picking up a dandelion seed.

Image: Enrico Mantegazza

Feetings is a regional term from the English county of Suffolk, and it is usually used to describe the footprints left in the snow by animals and birds. While the image alone of delicate tracks on a white snowy field is already filled with charm, there is something about the word feetings itself (or any of its variants footings, fettings, and feetens) that seems to invoke tiny footprints left by small, adorable creatures prancing around in winter. Which might not be entirely accurate: According to the English Dialect Dictionary, feetings can also be used for the prints of dogs, horses, and hunting quarries, among others.

Image: Redd F

Imagine walking around one of Washington DC’s many parks in spring during the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Can you picture all those delicate flowers, filling every single cherry tree you pass by? Luckily, the English language has a single word that encapsulates all this beauty. Abloom is used to describe a tree or plant completely covered with flowers or blooms.

Image: Polina Kuzovkova

Spoondrift describes the shower sprayed from sea waves during a gale or a storm. While these conditions might not sound particularly pleasant, there is a certain dangerous majestic beauty to a sea tempest that can’t be denied. And maybe, provided you are watching it from a comfortable and safe distance, that refreshing feeling of being lightly sprayed by spoondrift might help you lock in your mind an image that will be with you forever.

Image: Biel Morro

We now reach another word that comes from a regional dialect. Pirr comes from the Shetland islands in Scotland, and it refers to a light breeze, specifically one that might cause small, delicate ripples on the surface of a calm body of water. By the way, this phenomenon is also known as a "cat’s paw", since these tiny waves look to some like cat prints. Sailors use cat paws to effectively predict the arrival of a gust of wind.

Image: Johannes Plenio

This word comes from the mind of 19th-century poet Gerard Manley Hopkins, known for his habit of creating words to describe natural phenomena. Hopkins coined the term goldfoil to refer to a night sky lit by lightning in "zigzag dints and creasings". He is also credited with the charmingly beautiful word shivelight, used to describe "the lances of sunshine that pierce the canopy of a wood."

Flipped meanings

You’ve been using these 12 words wrong—historically speaking

Image: Randy Laybourne

Language doesn’t stand still—and some words have done a complete 180. Over the centuries, dozens of common English terms have evolved to mean the exact opposite of what they once did. From awful once meaning "awe-inspiring," to egregious flipping from praise to insult, these surprising reversals reveal how culture, usage, and context reshape our vocabulary over time. Here are 12 examples of English words that used to mean the opposite.

Image: Christopher Ruel

Then: Awe-inspiring

Now: Very bad

In the 13th century, awful described something that filled you with awe or reverence, often in a religious or majestic sense.

By the 1800s, however, its meaning had shifted toward fear and unpleasantness. Today, awful exclusively refers to something negative, such as bad smells, food, or experiences.

Image: Rupert Britton

Then: Remarkably good

Now: Shockingly bad

Derived from Latin egregius, meaning "distinguished" or "eminent," it originally described someone who stood out in a good way.

But by the 17th century, the meaning had completely flipped. Today, egregious highlights glaring faults and is often used in legal or journalistic contexts to describe major errors or scandals.

Image: Michael Dziedzic

Then: Ignorant or foolish

Now: Pleasant or kind

In Middle English, nice came from the Latin nescius, meaning "ignorant." It originally referred to someone silly, gullible, or lacking judgment in general. Not very nice, eh?

Image: Flora Orosz

Then: Blessed or holy

Now: Lacking seriousness

Silly began as seely in Old English, meaning "happy," "innocent," or "pious." Particularly, it had strong religious and moral overtones.

Curiously, as the centuries passed, the meaning shifted from a sense of innocence to naivety, and by the 1500s, it had taken on today’s connotation of being frivolous or childish.

Image: Nicolas Hoizey

Then: Skillfully made

Now: Fake or insincere

From Latin artificialis, meaning "crafted with skill," it once described things made by human art, often with admiration.

Today, artificial implies unnaturalness or deception, especially in food, emotions, or materials like artificial flavoring or artificial intelligence. Seems quite unfair, doesn’t it?

Image: Edilson Borges

Then: Causing terror or awe

Now: Very bad

Terrible once described something that instilled fear or awe, often with divine or royal connotations, like "a terrible majesty."

Its modern usage dropped the reverence but kept the negativity. Today, it denotes poor quality or extreme unpleasantness in everyday speech.

Image: Devon Metcalf

Then: Showy or flashy

Now: Courageous

In the 15th century, brave referred to a person dressed flamboyantly or behaving boldly in appearance, not action.

In an ironic turn, the meaning evolved during the Renaissance to describe boldness of character, especially in battle or adversity—its current heroic sense.

Image: Elena Leya

Then: Sated or full

Now: Unhappy

In Old English, sad meant "sated," from the same root as satisfy. It indicated fullness, firmness, and even seriousness.

The shift toward emotional gloom began in the 1300s, gradually dominating the word’s use by the 16th century.

Image: Nicolas Houdayer

Then: To examine carefully

Now: To skim or browse

Peruse comes from Latin per- ("thoroughly") + use, meaning to examine in detail. Legal and scholarly texts once used it that way.

In modern casual use, people often say peruse when they mean "glance over," a meaning that’s become accepted through frequent misuse.

Image: Artem Balashevsky

Then: Any type of food

Now: Animal flesh

In Old English, meat referred broadly to food of all kinds. Even fruits and vegetables were considered "meats" too.

Its meaning narrowed by the 14th century, eventually referring only to animal flesh, particularly red meat, by modern standards.

Image: Ben Wicks

Then: A child of either sex

Now: A female child

In Middle English, girl (or gyrl) referred to any young person, regardless of gender. The term boy was less commonly used.

By the 16th century, girl became gender-specific, aligning with societal norms and shaping the word we use today.

Image: Rodrigo Curi

Then: To prevent

Now: To allow

Let once meant to hinder or obstruct, and was often found in old legal or religious texts.

Interestingly, its meaning flipped over time—from restriction to permission. Quite the reversal! While modern usage dominates, its older meaning still survives in some dialects and contexts.