glory
Americannoun
-
very great praise, honor, or distinction bestowed by common consent; renown.
to win glory on the field of battle.
-
something that is a source of honor, fame, or admiration; a distinguished ornament or an object of pride.
a sonnet that is one of the glories of English poetry.
-
adoring praise or worshipful thanksgiving.
Give glory to God.
-
resplendent beauty or magnificence.
the glory of autumn.
- Synonyms:
- effulgence, refulgence, brilliance
-
a state of great splendor, magnificence, or prosperity.
-
a state of absolute happiness, gratification, contentment, etc..
She was in her glory when her horse won the Derby.
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the splendor and bliss of heaven; heaven.
-
a ring, circle, or surrounding radiance of light represented about the head or the whole figure of a sacred person, as Christ or a saint; a halo, nimbus, or aureole.
verb (used without object)
-
to exult with triumph; rejoice proudly (usually followed byin ).
Their father gloried in their success.
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Obsolete. to boast.
interjection
idioms
-
glory days / years, the time of greatest achievement, popularity, success, or the like.
the glory days of radio.
-
go to glory, to die. Also go to one's glory.
noun
-
exaltation, praise, or honour, as that accorded by general consent
the glory for the exploit went to the captain
-
something that brings or is worthy of praise (esp in the phrase crowning glory )
-
thanksgiving, adoration, or worship
glory be to God
-
pomp; splendour
the glory of the king's reign
-
radiant beauty; resplendence
the glory of the sunset
-
the beauty and bliss of heaven
-
a state of extreme happiness or prosperity
verb
-
to triumph or exult
-
obsolete (intr) to brag
interjection
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
glorysimple
-
gloriessimple
-
have gloriedperfect
-
has gloriedperfect
-
am gloryingprogressive
-
are gloryingprogressive
-
is gloryingprogressive
-
have been gloryingperfect progressive
-
has been gloryingperfect progressive
Past
-
gloriedsimple
-
had gloriedperfect
-
was gloryingprogressive
-
were gloryingprogressive
-
had been gloryingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of glory
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Old French glorie, from Latin glōria
Explanation
Glory is brilliant, radiant beauty. You might admire a princess in all her glory, since she seems almost too gorgeous to be real. Glory is also a term that is sometimes used in a religious way. It means the glow or light that appears around the head of a holy person or saint, like a halo. Another use of glory is a state of high honor gained from great achievements. If you have heard the expression "you're in your glory," it means that you are very happy and proud — you must have reached one of your big goals.
Vocabulary lists containing glory
Beowulf vocabulary
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The Star Spangled Banner
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"Revolution 2.0," Vocabulary from the memoir
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
But, just as following his devastating loss to Alcaraz in their epic French Open final last year, Sinner has again responded to adversity to stand on the brink of glory.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
Brad Pitt is a grizzled racing driver burdened by his past who helps lead a struggling Formula One team to glory.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
Palaeoanthropology must regain its glory as a science that’s not only about bones, but that’s an ethological, cultural, and social study of bygone human societies.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 7, 2026
Shares are trading at around $22, well off the highs reached during the height of GameStop’s meme-stock glory in 2021.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
This he afterwards explained by saying that to a boyar the pride of his house and name is his own pride, that their glory is his glory, that their fate is his fate.
From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
He remains a popular figure, but badly needs something more than a cool number plate to remind him of past glories.
From BBC ● Dec. 2, 2025
But Ecuadorans -- led by President Daniel Noboa -- want to return "US Forward Operating Location" Manta to past glories.
From Barron's ● Nov. 12, 2025
Like many children of his time, he was “raised almost exclusively on a diet of white sugar,” the glories of which he extols for several merry pages.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 7, 2025
As Ganz archly observed, “the word for the politics that makes a pastiche of past glories to create a new type of regime is ‘fascism.'”
From Salon ● Sep. 10, 2025
“So many ignorant lands in need of my knowledge. I will teach them the glories of tilling, irrigation, fertilizing!”
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
Imagine how popular that was to the hot-rodders and cruisers and suburban commuters who gloried in being two- or three-car households.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2023
"I think the critics are looking backwards to a gloried past, and fail to see the strategic picture vis a vis China and technology in a really disappointing way," he says.
From BBC ● Jan. 31, 2023
Over the last few years, the teams of the Premier League — alongside a cadre of continental superclubs — have gloried in recruiting as many of the best players on the planet as possible.
From New York Times ● Aug. 7, 2021
As D.C. suffered and then gloried in a few winning teams, Tom spoke for the fans, always.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 1, 2021
Instead of hating the feeling, I gloried in it.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
“It could provide all its people with some rational way to live together while still glorying in their cultural diversity.”
From New York Times ● Oct. 4, 2022
She said he "wasn't provided with the assistance he required" in the community, adding the way he "vacillates" when talking to police make it difficult to indicate "wilful glorying" over the death.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2021
So on Monday, when he should have been glorying in his victory, he apologised again.
From The Guardian ● Feb. 3, 2020
A video from Atlanta, in 2016, shows her glorying in one of her signature encores, “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.”
From The New Yorker ● Oct. 3, 2019
I should be glorying in seeing Cardan like this.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
