splendid

adjective

splen·​did ˈsplen-dəd How to pronounce splendid (audio)
1
: possessing or displaying splendor: such as
b
: marked by showy magnificence
2
3
a
: excellent
a splendid opportunity
b
: being out of the ordinary : singular
splendidly adverb
splendidness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for splendid

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 splendid in a Sentence

We have a splendid opportunity to do something really useful. I have some splendid news. “We'll be coming out to visit over the summer.” “Oh, splendid!”
Recent Examples on the Web Polo Ralph Lauren sneakers. OUT ON A LIMB Has monochromatic dressing ever seemed quite so shimmering and splendid? Colin Dodgson, Vogue, 11 Apr. 2024 It’s been a splendid run for the market — so emphatically great that in just the first three months of the year, the S&P 500 climbed to record highs on 22 separate days. Jeff Sommer, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2024 And his orchestra was busy with standout performances — Raphael Figueroa’s endearing, assertive cello playing; Anton Rist’s splendid (and demanding) clarinet solos; Hannah Cope’s lucid harp. Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2024 The details are splendid (Lopez’s outfits demand pause-and-rewind admiration), and the concepts are campy but fresh. Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 16 Feb. 2024 The blossoms are opening & putting on a splendid spring spectacle. Li Cohen, CBS News, 18 Mar. 2024 Now Anderson’s spiritual profundity is fleeting, as if the millennium’s anxiety has gotten to the last of the splendid entertainers. Armond White, National Review, 15 Mar. 2024 Her take on Aloysius is smart and uncompromising but a bit small in crucial moments, leaving the splendid Schreiber — a strapping 6-foot-3, with a tough guy’s brush cut and a thick Bronx honk — to outman her. Jesse Green, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024 Cooperman does a splendid job lacing these lines of inquiry through the essay while also suggesting that trying too hard to answer them risks missing the point of creating and experiencing beauty—which is to say, the doing and the feeling. Longreads, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'splendid.' 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

Latin splendidus, from splendēre to shine; perhaps akin to Middle Irish lainn bright

First Known Use

1624, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of splendid was in 1624

Dictionary Entries Near splendid

Cite this Entry

“Splendid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/splendid. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

splendid

adjective
splen·​did ˈsplen-dəd How to pronounce splendid (audio)
1
: having or showing splendor : brilliant
2
: impressive in beauty, grandeur, or excellence
a splendid job
a splendid palace
3
: excellent
had a splendid time at the beach
splendidly adverb
splendidness noun
Etymology

from Latin splendidus "splendid, brilliant," from splendēre "to shine"

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