glory

American  

[glawr-ee] / ˈglɔr i /

noun

glories plural

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.

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verb (used without object)

glories, present (3rd person singular) gloried, past participle, past glorying present participle

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.).

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.

glory British  

/ 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

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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! )

glory More Idioms  

1. see in one's glory.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• glories
  plural

Participles

• glorying
  present
• gloried
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• glory
  simple
• glories
  simple
• have gloried
  perfect
• has gloried
  perfect
• am glorying
  progressive
• are glorying
  progressive
• is glorying
  progressive
• have been glorying
  perfect progressive
• has been glorying
  perfect progressive

Past

• gloried
  simple
• had gloried
  perfect
• was glorying
  progressive
• were glorying
  progressive
• had been glorying
  perfect progressive

Future

• will glory
  simple
• will have gloried
  perfect
• will be glorying
  progressive
• will have been glorying
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

In 2010, Spain dazzled the football world with their tiki-taka on their way to World Cup glory in South Africa.

From BBC • Jul. 6, 2026

It’s to experience the visceral thrill and nerve-shredding tension that occurs when two genuine powers square off, with the promise of history-making triumph, individual glory and intense national humiliation all hanging in the balance.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 5, 2026

The Pikachu — in all his tiny, yellow, bulbous glory — sitting next to the cameras is part of the reason the Angels have won some games lately.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 5, 2026

There’s a show, in fact, that precisely encapsulates that experience: “South Side,” a departed Comedy Central treat that encapsulates life in Chicago in all its sweaty glory.

From Salon • Jul. 1, 2026

The other, the life we lived with God, grew daily better, truth upon truth, glory upon glory.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Related Words

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