grandeur

noun

gran·​deur ˈgran-jər 

-ˌju̇r, 

-ˌd(y)u̇r, 

-d(y)ər

1

: the quality or state of being grand : magnificence

… the glory that was Greece and the grandeur that was Rome.

—Edgar Allan Poe

2

: an instance or example of grandeur

visited the awesome grandeurs of the American West

Synonyms of grandeur

• majesty
• brilliance
• elegance
• glory
• nobility
• magnificence

Examples of grandeur in a Sentence

His paintings capture the beauty and grandeur of the landscape.

They are restoring the hotel to its original grandeur.

Recent Examples on the Web

Everything about the palatial Southern California retreat exudes Italian grandeur and classic elegance. — Katie Sweeney, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

Brooks, ever one for grandeur, once compared his approach in Blazing Saddles to Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, among the earliest works by the painter that are considered truly revolutionary. — Adrienne Lafrance, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026

Contemporary production design rarely breaks through at the Oscars, where the branch tends to reward period grandeur and fantasy worldbuilding. — Clayton Davis, Variety, 27 June 2026

Wilson’s achievement is to bring these meanings forward without flattening the poem’s strangeness or grandeur. — David Denby, New Yorker, 21 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, from Old French, from grand

First Known Use

1632, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for grandeur

• amour
• hauteur
• velour
• voyeur
• doer
• poor
• poore
• raconteur

Kids Definition

grandeur

noun

gran·​deur ˈgran-jər 

1

: the quality or state of being grand : awe-inspiring magnificence

2

: something that is grand