Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective glorious contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of glorious are gorgeous, resplendent, splendid, sublime, and superb. While all these words mean "extraordinarily or transcendently impressive," glorious suggests radiance that heightens beauty or distinction.

a glorious sunset

When could gorgeous be used to replace glorious?

The words gorgeous and glorious are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, gorgeous implies a rich splendor especially in display of color.

a gorgeous red dress

When is it sensible to use resplendent instead of glorious?

The synonyms resplendent and glorious are sometimes interchangeable, but resplendent suggests a glowing or blazing splendor.

resplendent in her jewelry

Where would splendid be a reasonable alternative to glorious?

While in some cases nearly identical to glorious, splendid implies outshining the usual or customary.

the wedding was a splendid occasion

When might sublime be a better fit than glorious?

The meanings of sublime and glorious largely overlap; however, sublime implies an exaltation or elevation almost beyond human comprehension.

a vision of sublime beauty

When would superb be a good substitute for glorious?

While the synonyms superb and glorious are close in meaning, superb suggests an excellence reaching the highest conceivable degree.

her singing was superb

Examples of glorious in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The Brutalist was shot with VistaVision cameras and projected here in Venice in glorious 70mm format. Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 2 Sep. 2024 Lucy and Joshua are colleagues and nemeses who despise each other with an unbridled, glorious intensity that makes their flip-flop from enemies to lovers all the more delicious. Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 17 Aug. 2024 Rickey’s book shows that the wonders of Varda’s art were the glorious fruit of her wonderful life. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2024 The glorious mill is mated to a smooth-shifting six-speed automatic transmission and produces 563 hp and 575 ft lbs of torque. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 15 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for glorious 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'glorious.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Thesaurus Entries Near glorious

Cite this Entry

“Glorious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/glorious. Accessed 14 Sep. 2024.

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