glory

American  

[glawr-ee] / ˈglɔr i /

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.

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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.).

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

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

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

We wanted to peel back these contradictory layers — he wants to be pure but he has an egoic need for public glory — and show these things do battle with each other inside him.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

To many who will crowd into the Mojave tent to see him in all his shirtless glory, his music is a religion.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

When Knueppel was just 14 years old, he was thrown into a league of grizzled clock-punchers, retirees and guys reliving their college glory days.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

Liberating himself from pursuing the one prize which he really wanted - needed, perhaps - was something McIlroy recognised in the immediate aftermath of his crowning golfing glory when he said he felt "freed up".

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

Regardless, it was common knowledge that you could find many of the Academy staff in the simulation rooms after hours, reliving their glory days over and over again.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

Related Words

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