noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'
skyscraping; towering above the clouds; lofty
Literary and somewhat poetic; describes something extremely high, both physically and metaphorically (e.g., ambition, spirit). Often used in set phrases like 凌雲の志 (lofty ambition).
He left his hometown with a lofty ambition.
A skyscraping tower overlooks the city.
崇高 means 'sublime' or 'noble' in a moral or aesthetic sense, whereas 凌雲 emphasizes physical or metaphorical soaring above the clouds.
Standard kanji spelling; 凌 means 'surpass' or 'soar above', 雲 means 'clouds'.
Variant kanji spelling using 陵 (mound, hill) instead of 凌; less common.
Composed of 凌 (surpass, soar above) and 雲 (clouds). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word is conventionally associated with the image of rising above the clouds, symbolizing great height or ambition.