glorious

adjective

glo·​ri·​ous ˈglȯr-ē-əs How to pronounce glorious (audio)
1
a
: possessing or deserving glory : illustrious
had a long and glorious military career
b
: entitling one to glory
a glorious victory
2
: marked by great beauty or splendor : magnificent
a glorious sunset
3
: delightful, wonderful
had a glorious weekend
gloriously adverb
gloriousness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for glorious

splendid, resplendent, gorgeous, glorious, sublime, superb mean extraordinarily or transcendently impressive.

splendid implies outshining the usual or customary.

the wedding was a splendid occasion

resplendent suggests a glowing or blazing splendor.

resplendent in her jewelry

gorgeous implies a rich splendor especially in display of color.

a gorgeous red dress

glorious suggests radiance that heightens beauty or distinction.

a glorious sunset

sublime implies an exaltation or elevation almost beyond human comprehension.

a vision of sublime beauty

superb suggests an excellence reaching the highest conceivable degree.

her singing was superb

Examples of glorious in a Sentence

He had a long and glorious military career. The old ruins give only a hint of the city's glorious past. The government has described the battle as a glorious victory. Our room had a glorious view of the mountains.
Recent Examples on the Web Sarah McLachlan and Feist Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater, 500 Broad St., Bridgeport For much of the 1990s, summertime meant Sarah McLachlan’s glorious multi-stage Lilith Fair tours of top female rock and pop acts. Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 22 June 2024 The Orioles restored some joy Saturday, winning behind a resilient Rodriguez to set up a glorious Father’s Day finale pitting Baltimore ace Burnes against his Philadelphia counterpart, Zack Wheeler. Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 21 June 2024 There are many excellent restaurants, fascinating museums, cool neighborhoods, and glorious green spaces such as the famous Vondelpark. Lindsay Cohn, Travel + Leisure, 19 June 2024 One attribute, however, not only has not changed, but also has defiantly expanded since Russia occupied parts of the surrounding Donetsk region in February 2022: the glorious rose beds that offer expanses of red, white, and yellow blooms for five months every year. Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for glorious 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'glorious.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French glorios, from Latin gloriosus glorious, vainglorious, from gloria

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of glorious was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near glorious

Cite this Entry

“Glorious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glorious. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.

Kids Definition

glorious

adjective
glo·​ri·​ous ˈglōr-ē-əs How to pronounce glorious (audio)
ˈglȯr-
1
a
: possessing or deserving glory : illustrious
b
: bringing glory
glorious victory
2
: having great beauty or splendor
a glorious sunset
3
: delightful
had a glorious day
gloriously adverb
gloriousness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on glorious

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