serendipity[ˌsɛrənˈdɪpəti]
finding something good by chance
The writer Horace Walpole made up the word in 1754.
Meeting you was pure serendipity.
ethereal[ɪˈθɪriəl]
so light and delicate it seems not of this world
From ether, the pure upper air the ancient Greeks believed in.
Her voice sounded almost ethereal.
petrichor[ˈpɛtrɪˌkɔr]
the smell of rain on dry earth
Two Australian scientists named it in 1964, from the Greek for stone and for the blood of the gods.
I love the petrichor after a summer storm.
luminous[ˈlumənəs]
giving off light; bright
From Latin lumen, light, like illuminate.
The moon was luminous that night.
mellifluous[məˈlɪfluəs]
sweet and smooth to hear
From Latin, literally flowing with honey.
He has a deep, mellifluous voice.
velvet[ˈvɛlvɪt]
a soft cloth with a thick, smooth surface
Also used for anything soft and rich: a velvet voice, a velvet night.
She wore a dark blue velvet dress.
epiphany[ɪˈpɪfəni]
a sudden moment of understanding
From a Greek word for appearance; also the name of a Christian holiday.
I had an epiphany on the train home.
eloquent[ˈɛləkwənt]
speaking or writing well and movingly
From Latin, to speak out.
She gave an eloquent speech.
reverie[ˈrɛvəri]
a pleasant daydream
Borrowed from the French rêverie, dreaming.
A knock at the door broke my reverie.
halcyon[ˈhælsiən]
happy and peaceful, usually in the past
From a Greek legend of a bird that calmed the sea; halcyon days are golden memories.
We still talk about those halcyon summers.
Lingard