atmosphere
a particular environment or surrounding influence
How often you will meet it
Rank 2,226 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 7,849 times across 175,112 chapters — 0.004% of every word in the library.
What it means
noun
- a particular environment or surrounding influence also: ambiance, ambience there was an atmosphere of excitement
- a unit of pressure: the pressure that will support a column of mercury 760 mm high at sea level and 0 degrees centigrade also: standard atmosphere, atm, standard pressure
- the mass of air surrounding the Earth also: air there was great heat as the comet entered the atmosphereit was exposed to the air
- the weather or climate at some place also: atmospheric state the atmosphere was thick with fog
- the envelope of gases surrounding any celestial body
- a distinctive but intangible quality surrounding a person or thing also: air, aura an air of mysterythe house had a neglected air
atmosphere in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
-
A drowsy, dreamy influence seems to hang over the land, and to pervade the very atmosphere.
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow · Washington Irving · Chapter 1
-
For the first time I felt that, with Evelyn Howard, something indefinable had gone from the atmosphere.
The Mysterious Affair at Styles · Agatha Christie · Chapter 1
-
It was thus for Angelique an atmosphere of affection and love, in which she grew and thrived.
The Dream · Émile Zola · Chapter 1
-
That must be a pernicious agitation of the circumambient atmosphere, which conduces not to the benefit of any individual.
Punchinello, Volume 1, No. 08, May 21, 1870 · Various · Chapter 1
-
Yet the cobwebs grew; there was an element not reached by, resentful of, the atmosphere of Johnny's friendliness--"Terence O'Hara's gang."
The Courage of the Commonplace · Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews · Chapter 1