gorgeous
Americanadjective
-
strikingly beautiful or magnificent
gorgeous array
a gorgeous girl
-
informal extremely pleasing, fine, or good
gorgeous weather
Synonym Usage
See magnificent.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of gorgeous
First recorded in 1490–1500; earlier gorgeouse, from Old French gorgias “fashionable, elegant,” of uncertain origin, perhaps connected to gorge “throat”; see gorge
Explanation
Reach for the adjective gorgeous to describe jaw-droppingly beautiful, magnificent people or things. Good-looking is one thing. Beautiful is another. But reserve gorgeous for the kind of looks that take your breath away. Some synonyms include resplendent, dazzling, spectacular, and splendid. We know that the word comes from Old French gorgias, meaning "elegant," but beyond that it's hard to say for sure. It might have something to do with fancy necklaces adorning the throat — la gorge in French. If calling someone gorgeous isn't enough, pack some extra punch and say "drop-dead gorgeous" instead.
Vocabulary lists containing gorgeous
"The Great Gatsby," Chapter 1 Vocabulary
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Call of Beauty: Synonyms for "Beautiful"
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "G"
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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.
With a high level of tennis, the gorgeous weather and the addition of England doing well in the World Cup, I think it truly has been a great Championships.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
Daughter Evangelina Sayre followed with a short eulogy that compared her dad’s diverse interests in social justice to the gorgeous hues of his beloved Sonoran Desert.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
This feast of gorgeous tunes fell prey to a clunky English translation by Edmund Tracey and unidiomatic conducting by Ramón Tebar, making it dull rather than sublime.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026
She’s gorgeous, of course — she’s Chloë Sevigny, and she knows it — but she’s wearing what she wants, rather than what others expect to see.
From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2026
It’s an upbeat, radio-friendly jam, about the sweetest, coolest, most gorgeous girl I’ve ever met.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
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.
