glorious

adjective

glo·​ri·​ous ˈglȯr-ē-əs How to pronounce glorious (audio)
Synonyms of glorious
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

Synonyms of glorious

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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Byrne and his dozen musicians and dancers are a marching band, too, in all of their glorious mobility and wirelessness. — Chris Willman, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026 Tracing the length of one of these wild, winding promontories is the glorious, 46-mile Queen Charlotte Track, says Helen Pickles in The Times. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 30 Aug. 2026 His particular favorites are Yeung’s Green Zebra tomatoes, the Brandywines, and the glorious red-gold Pineapples. — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2026 Those software companies like Adobe, though, continued to climb, while his glorious tech socks fell off a cliff. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for glorious

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

Rhymes for glorious

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Browse Nearby Words

gloriosa daisy
glorious
gloriously
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Cite this Entry

“Glorious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glorious. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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