glorious
GLAW-ree-uhs
Glorious (adj) means deserving great praise or admiration; magnificent. Example: “The mountains looked glorious in the golden light of early morning.”
adj
1
Deserving great praise or admiration; magnificent.
"The mountains looked glorious in the golden light of early morning."
"It was a glorious victory for the underdog team."
"They watched a glorious sunset over the bay."
2
(informal) Wonderful or delightful.
"What a glorious bit of weather for our picnic!"
"The cake was absolutely glorious, and everyone asked for a second slice."
"We had a glorious day at the beach."
How to use glorious
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSplendid, magnificent, or wonderful — worthy of glory.
Common pairings
glorious victory
glorious sunshine
glorious day
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Word forms
- Comparative
- more glorious, gloriouser
- Superlative
- most glorious, gloriousest
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The mountains looked _____ in the golden light of early morning.
Etymology
From Old French glorïos, from Latin gloriosus, from gloria ("glory").
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
inglorious
Related words
Rhymes for glorious
See all rhymes for glorious →Frequently asked questions
What does “glorious” mean?
The word “glorious” means deserving great praise or admiration; magnificent. In plain terms, splendid, magnificent, or wonderful — worthy of glory.
How do you pronounce “glorious”?
“Glorious” is pronounced GLAW-ree-uhs (/ˈɡlɔɹ.i.əs/ in IPA).
How do you use “glorious” in a sentence?
Here is “glorious” used in a sentence: “It was a glorious victory for the underdog team.”
What part of speech is “glorious”?
“Glorious” is an adjective.
Where does the word “glorious” come from?
The word “glorious” comes from Latin. From Old French glorïos, from Latin gloriosus, from gloria ("glory").
Is “glorious” a common word?
“Glorious” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “glorious” have?
“Glorious” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: deserving great praise or admiration; magnificent.
What is the difference between "glorious" and "magnificent"?
Both describe something deserving great praise or admiration, and in many sentences they are interchangeable. "Magnificent" tends to emphasise impressive scale or splendour, while "glorious" often carries a note of triumph or joy, as in "a glorious victory". Informally, "glorious" can also simply mean wonderful or delightful, as in "a glorious afternoon".
Is "glorious" formal or informal?
"Glorious" works in both registers. In formal writing it means deserving great praise or admiration, as in "a glorious achievement", while in everyday speech it is often used informally to mean wonderful or delightful, especially about weather, food, or experiences. Context makes the intended strength clear.
What is the difference between "glorious" and "glorified"?
"Glorious" is a genuine compliment meaning magnificent or deserving admiration. "Glorified" is usually dismissive: calling something "a glorified X" suggests it has been dressed up to seem grander than it really is, as in "the role is just a glorified errand-runner". The two words should not be swapped.
What nouns commonly go with "glorious"?
"Glorious" pairs naturally with nouns for achievements, weather, and experiences: a glorious victory, a glorious sunset, glorious weather, a glorious career, and glorious colours are all common collocations. In its informal sense of "wonderful", it also appears in phrases like "a glorious day out".
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