stratospheric

1. (meteorology) Of, relating to, or occurring in the stratosphere (“the region of the uppermost atmosphere”).Examples: "Stratospheric fighting brings a new dimension to warfare, taking it into the realm of the fantastic—like an Orson Wells^([sic – meaning Orson Welles]) drama in which cities are bombed from the stratosphere beyond reach of anti-aircraft fire and barrage balloon and in relative safety from enemy pursuit ships."; "This new pen operates on the principle of capillary attraction. It writes with greater ease than the smoothest lead pencil; writes on cloth or paper submerged in water or in an airplane at the ceiling of stratospheric air travel without leaking; writes on glossy paper, soft paper, blotting paper, or cloth without spreading."; "During the World War he [Jean Piccard] became professor of organic chemistry at Chicago, but later he changed his field. The famous stratospheric flights of his brother Auguste [Piccard]—they are very similar twins and their voices on the radio indistinguishable—caused him to turn to aeronautics and to take on a professorship in aeronautical engineering at the University of Minnesota."Synonyms: stratosphericalAntonyms: nonstratospheric

2. (figurative, colloquial) Unusually or unreasonably high; astronomical.Examples: "The hotel charged stratospheric prices for a simple cooked breakfast."; "Parmenides, we recall, denied the possibility of change because it seemed to involve a passage from non-being to being, from nothing to something. Discussed on this stratospheric level, his argument appears to be irrefutable."; "[...] [Simon] Stephens is one of Britain's most highly regarded playwrights, and the director, Marianne Elliott, is a key player in the stratospheric success of War Horse at the National Theatre."