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

Over 6,000 attended, the crowd swelled by the glorious weather and the prospect of a full-day — more than seven hours — of cricket ahead. —ABC News, 4 May 2026

Otto Lopez, Xavier Edwards and Liam Hicks - who in total cost the Marlins nothing but two minor leaguers - have had glorious starts to 2026, all ranking in the top 10 in batting average, with Edwards leading the league in on-base percentage and Hicks among the league leaders in RBI. —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 2 May 2026

Our own shopping director, Rachel Fletcher, can attest to Farm Girl’s long-lasting petals, stating that her own peonies lasted nearly ten glorious days. —Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 1 May 2026

Tommy Novak had a glorious chance to score in the third period when the puck bounced to him in front of Vladar. —Josh Yohe, New York Times, 30 Apr. 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