magnificent
mag-NIH-fuh-suhnt
Magnificent (adj) means Extremely beautiful, grand, or impressive in appearance. Example: “The palace gardens looked magnificent in the early morning light.”
adj
1
Extremely beautiful, grand, or impressive in appearance.
"The palace gardens looked magnificent in the early morning light."
"They were married in a magnificent 18th-century cathedral."
"The view from the summit was absolutely magnificent."
2
Outstandingly good or admirable in what someone did.
"You did a magnificent job organising the whole event on such short notice."
"The choir gave a magnificent performance, and the audience stood to applaud."
"The goalkeeper made a magnificent save in the final minute."
How to use magnificent
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishImpressively grand, beautiful, or excellent — a strong step up from just "nice" or "good".
Common pairings
a magnificent view
magnificent performance
absolutely magnificent
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Word forms
- Comparative
- more magnificent
- Superlative
- most magnificent
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The palace gardens looked _____ in the early morning light.
Etymology
From Latin magnificus, "great in deeds", built from magnus, "great", and a form of facere, "to do".
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for magnificent
See all rhymes for magnificent →Frequently asked questions
What does “magnificent” mean?
The word “magnificent” means extremely beautiful, grand, or impressive in appearance. In plain terms, impressively grand, beautiful, or excellent — a strong step up from just "nice" or "good".
How do you pronounce “magnificent”?
“Magnificent” is pronounced mag-NIH-fuh-suhnt (/mæɡˈnɪfəsənt/ in IPA).
How do you use “magnificent” in a sentence?
Here is “magnificent” used in a sentence: “They were married in a magnificent 18th-century cathedral.”
What part of speech is “magnificent”?
“Magnificent” is an adjective.
Where does the word “magnificent” come from?
The word “magnificent” comes from Latin. From Latin magnificus, "great in deeds", built from magnus, "great", and a form of facere, "to do".
Is “magnificent” a common word?
“Magnificent” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “magnificent” have?
“Magnificent” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: extremely beautiful, grand, or impressive in appearance.
Is it magnificent or magnificient?
Magnificent is the only correct spelling; magnificient is a common misspelling. The ending is -cent, matching the related noun magnificence.
What is the difference between magnificent and beautiful?
Beautiful is a general word for anything pleasing to look at, while magnificent adds scale and grandeur: a magnificent palace, view, or performance is impressive as well as attractive. Something small can easily be beautiful, but magnificent usually suggests something grand or striking.
What is the difference between magnificent and splendid?
The two overlap, since both describe things that are extremely impressive or admirable. Splendid is somewhat more old-fashioned, especially in its British use as general praise ('Splendid!'), while magnificent stays firmly focused on grandeur, beauty, or outstanding quality.
Can you say 'very magnificent'?
It sounds odd to most native speakers. Magnificent is already an extreme adjective, so it pairs with intensifiers like absolutely, truly, or simply rather than very: 'an absolutely magnificent view.'
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