glory

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noun glo·ry \ ˈglȯr-ē \

Definition of glory

plural glories

1 a :praise, honor, or distinction extended by common consent :renown

b :worshipful praise, honor, and thanksgiving

giving glory to God

2 a :something that secures praise or renown

the glory of a brilliant career

b :a distinguished quality or asset

The glory of the city is its Gothic cathedral.

3 a (1) :great beauty and splendor :magnificence

the glory that was Greece and the grandeur that was Rome
—E. A. Poe

(2) :something marked by beauty or resplendence

a perfect glory of a day

b :the splendor and beatific happiness of heaven; broadly :eternity

4 a :a state of great gratification or exaltation

when she's acting she's in her glory

b :a height of prosperity or achievement

ancient Rome in its glory

5 :a ring or spot of light: such as

a :aureole

b :a halo appearing around the shadow of an object

See glory defined for English-language learners

See glory defined for kids

Examples of glory in a Sentence

As a young soldier he dreamed of winning military glory.
He now has only a few trophies to remind him of the glory of his athletic career.
Let us give glory to God.
The glory of the town is its fountain.
an art exhibit showing off the glories of ancient civilizations
The new owners are trying to restore the company to its former glory.
The beautiful art reminds us of the glory of the empire.

Recent Examples of glory from the Web

The former Ajax centre-back was De Boer’s pick, but hasn’t covered himself in glory since his arrival last month, and attempts to re-sign Liverpool’s Mamadou Sakho have so far been priced out by the Merseyside club.

— SI.com, "Crystal Palace Considering Bringing Sam Allardyce Out of Retirement to Replace Frank de Boer," 29 Aug. 2017
In contrast, Carey played up her diva status in all its glory, but with a knowing wink.

— althea legaspi, chicagotribune.com, "Lionel Richie brought all the hits and more," 27 Aug. 2017
However, the view that will always remain in my mind is when the train made its final pass through a long tunnel — and Lake Geneva emerged in all its glory.

— joanne dibona, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Lake Geneva a Swiss paradise," 25 Aug. 2017
The rest of us will still be able to get in on that eclipse action in all its retina-scarring glory, but some fraction of the sun will be visible throughout.

— gabrielle bruney, Esquire, "NASA Made a Simulation That Shows the View You'll Get of the Eclipse," 20 Aug. 2017
The homemade ranch dressing that finishes this gorgeous design is the ultimate way to showcase them in all their super-fresh glory.

— cooking with caitlin, Cincinnati.com, "Cooking With Caitlin: Savory tomato pie with biscuit crust and ranch dressing drizzle," 2 Aug. 2017
In between rants about immigrant invaders and Islamist terrorists, the president repeated his vow to restore the Mahoning Valley to its glory days when steel was king.

— michelle cottle, The Atlantic, "Democrats Pitch a Kinder, Gentler Populism," 31 July 2017
Davis Guggenheim directed the first film to box office and Oscar glory, bringing climate change into the mainstream.

— john carucci, The Seattle Times, "Al Gore on ‘Inconvenient Sequel,’ Trump, and the environment," 25 July 2017
A dapper-looking Leslie Edward Sutter, bedecked in a red pinstriped zoot suit with a sombrero festooned with plastic ponies, wasn’t seeking glory.

— michele parente, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Del Mar brimming with fab hats," 19 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'glory.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of glory

Middle English glorie, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, from Latin gloria

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First Known Use: 14th century

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glory Synonyms

Synonyms

acclaim, accolade, applause, bay (s), credit, distinction, homage, honor, kudos, laud, laurels, props [slang], réclame, sun

Related Words

celebrity, fame, renown, repute; compliment, encomium, eulogy, panegyric, toast, tribute; acclamation, ovation, plaudit, praise, rave, rhapsody; citation, commendation, kudo, note, recommendation; elevation, enshrinement, enthronement, exaltation, glorification

Near Antonyms

disgrace, dishonor; blemish, blot, defect, shame, slur, smirch, smudge, stain, stigma; eyesore, fright, horror, mess

glory

verb

Definition of glory

gloried; glorying

intransitive verb

:to rejoice proudly —used with in

gloried in their great success

See glory defined for English-language learners

Examples of glory in a Sentence

the whole city gloried in the home team's winning of the World Series

Recent Examples of glory from the Web

Or did the notions that fed the circus die off in a nation that once gloried in the reach of empire, with strange creatures on display to certify Western Man's dominion over Earth?

— john kass, chicagotribune.com, "The circus just ran out of time," 24 May 2017

Origin and Etymology of glory

see ¹glory

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

glory Synonyms

Synonyms

crow, delight, exuberate, exult, jubilate, joy, kvell, rejoice, triumph

Related Words

gloat, preen, swell; boast, brag; flaunt, parade, show off, strut, swagger

Near Antonyms

bemoan, bewail, grieve, lament, regret, weep

glory

interjection

variants: or glory be

Definition of glory

—used to express surprise or delight

Examples of glory in a Sentence

glory! I thought I'd never see this day come

Origin and Etymology of glory

see ¹glory

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1816

See Words from the same year

glory Synonyms

Synonyms

hooray (or glory be), ha (or hah), hallelujah, hey, hot dog, huzzah, wahoo [chiefly West], whee, whoopee, yahoo, yippee

Related Words

wow, zowie; ooh; gee, gee whiz, gosh

Near Antonyms

alack, alas, aw, boo

GLORY Defined for English Language Learners

glory

play

noun

Definition of glory for English Language Learners

: public praise, honor, and fame
: praise of a god or goddess
: something that brings praise or fame to someone or something : something that is a source of great pride

GLORY Defined for Kids

glory

play

noun glo·ry \ ˈglȯr-ē \

Definition of glory for Students

plural glories

1 :praise, honor, and admiration given to a person

2 :something that brings honor, praise, or fame

the glories of ancient Rome

3 :brilliance, splendor

“… if you did not wear spectacles the brightness and glory of the Emerald City would blind you.”
—L. Frank Baum, The Wizard of Oz

glory

verb

Definition of glory for Students

gloried; glorying

:to rejoice proudly

They gloried in their country's success.

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See words that rhyme with glory Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for glory Spanish Central: Translation of glory Nglish: Translation of glory for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of glory for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about glory

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glory

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glory

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Origin and Etymology of glory

glory Synonyms

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GLORY Defined for English Language Learners

glory

Definition of glory for English Language Learners

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