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

But this has been a glorious year regardless of whether Miami beats the Indiana-Oregon winner or not. —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026

The July morning was bright, the sky was a glorious blue, and the ground was far, far away, at the bottom of two and a half miles of empty air. —Danielle Parker, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026

As for what these glorious creatures sound like, the great eared nightjar's piercing call can be heard at dawn and dusk. —Marina Watts, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026

The mountains look glorious, green, and bizarrely in-your-face. —Dana Goodyear, New Yorker, 7 Jan. 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