glory

[glawr-ee]

noun

plural

glories 

1. very great praise, honor, or distinction bestowed by common consent; renown.

   to win glory on the field of battle.

   Synonyms: celebrity, eminence, fame
   Antonyms: obloquy, disgrace

2. 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.

3. adoring praise or worshipful thanksgiving.

   Give glory to God.

4. resplendent beauty or magnificence.

   the glory of autumn.

   Synonyms: effulgence, refulgence, brilliance

5. a state of great splendor, magnificence, or prosperity.

6. a state of absolute happiness, gratification, contentment, etc..

   She was in her glory when her horse won the Derby.

7. the splendor and bliss of heaven; heaven.

8. 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.

9. anticorona.

verb (used without object)

gloried, glorying 

1. to exult with triumph; rejoice proudly (usually followed byin ).

   Their father gloried in their success.

2. Obsolete.,  to boast.

interjection

1. Also glory be Glory be to God (used to express surprise, elation, wonder, etc.).

glory

/ ˈɡlɔːrɪ /

noun

1. exaltation, praise, or honour, as that accorded by general consent

   the glory for the exploit went to the captain

2. something that brings or is worthy of praise (esp in the phrase crowning glory )

3. thanksgiving, adoration, or worship

   glory be to God

4. pomp; splendour

   the glory of the king's reign

5. radiant beauty; resplendence

   the glory of the sunset

6. the beauty and bliss of heaven

7. a state of extreme happiness or prosperity

8. another word for halo nimbus

verb

1. to triumph or exult

2. obsolete,  (intr) to brag

interjection

1. informal,  a mild interjection to express pleasure or surprise (often in the exclamatory phrase glory be! )

Other Word Forms

• gloryingly adverb
• self-glory noun
• self-glorying adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of glory¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Old French glorie, from Latin glōria

Word History and Origins

Origin of glory¹

C13: from Old French glorie, from Latin glōria, of obscure origin

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. glory days / years, the time of greatest achievement, popularity, success, or the like.

   the glory days of radio.

2. go to glory, to die. Also go to one's glory.

see in one's glory.

Example Sentences

Though far from those glory days, manufacturers and sellers hope higher quality, locally made pieces will lure customers back to showrooms.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

He let the weather itself dictate the type of immersive experience the album could be, even as it also chronicles his layered chase for notoriety and glory.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

As well as analysing the painting, the University of Lincoln team has conserved it to its former glory.

Read more on BBC

Occasionally the movie does offer up a pleasing little nugget about the creative process, as when Springsteen changes a lyric from the third person to the first: There is glory in such little adjustments.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

In many ways, horror has already won, and trying to push it back toward Oscar glory is a futile, Sisyphean endeavor.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• celebrity 
• dignity 
• grandeur 
• greatness 
• honor 
• immortality 
• majesty 
• prestige 
• reputation 
• splendor 
• triumph