glorious

adjective

glo·​ri·​ous ˈglȯr-ē-əs 

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

• magnificent
• epic
• majestic
• imposing
• proud
• massive

Choose the Right Synonym for glorious

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

The Cardinals are coming off a 3-14 season, among the worst in their not-so-glorious history. — Doug Haller, New York Times, 24 July 2026

Nothing written after that era made the cut, transforming the night into a glorious, full-fledged nostalgia trip for longtime fans. — Jonathan Cohen, SPIN, 23 July 2026

While there’s lots of fighting (and again, every fight scene is glorious fun and really makes a lot of recent Marvel movies look tame in comparison) there’s no blood or gore. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026

The Odyssey actor, 55, shed some light on his first glorious moments after securing his role as Odysseus in the film, which debuted in theaters July 17. — Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 22 July 2026

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

Rhymes for glorious

• inglorious
• laborious
• notorious
• sartorius
• uproarious
• vainglorious
• victorious
• meritorious

Kids Definition

glorious

adjective

glo·​ri·​ous ˈglōr-ē-əs 

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