otherworld means the other realms of existence beyond the world of mankind, especially the realms of the dead or the fairy folk. It carries an Arena rating of 1653, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, otherworld ranks #377 of 17,124 for Most Sublime Words, #1,331 of 17,140 for Most Whimsical Words, #1,763 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #2,396 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words.
otherworld is pronounced /ˈʌðɚˌwɝld/.
Why “otherworld” is a great word
A realm of existence conceived as being beyond or apart from the ordinary physical world. From Middle English *othyr world*, a compound of 'other' (from Old English *ōþer*, meaning 'second, other') and 'world' (from Old English *weorold*, meaning 'age, world'). Unlike "afterlife," which specifically denotes the state or place after death, or "utopia," which implies an idealized, human-centric society, "otherworld" is a more capacious and ambiguous domain. It is the mist-shrouded faerie hill that opens at dusk, the sunless hall of the underworld god, the silent, star-dusted plain where the newly dead first lose their names. It is the whispered geography just beyond the edge of the map, a shadow pressing against the thin glass of reality.
Etymology
From otherworld.
noun
- The other realms of existence beyond the world of mankind, especially the realms of the dead or the fairy folk.e.g.“In these dreams the spirits of the Otherworld materialized in the shape of animals and spoke to them.” — 1990, Michael Howard Thorson, Understanding Runes, page 21:
- A world beyond death; an afterlife.
- A world other than the everyday world.
- A world other than the everyday world.; A mythical abode of otherworldly beings.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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