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

It is a glory that carries the shade of one man, his teammates following Kershaw’s daily leadership into a place that looks and feels like his unrelenting glare.

From Los Angeles Times

But most of all, there was the fading glory of the president, Emmanuel Macron.

From BBC

What seems to have ended is Álvarez’s era as a dominant champion, because in boxing, beyond glory and money, the ultimate opponent is always time.

From Los Angeles Times

"The pressure's what I love. If you win, you get all the glory. If you lose, everyone blames it on you because you're the main guy."

From BBC

The Royal Exchange receives the highest Arts Council England funding of any theatre after the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company, and is hoping to recapture former glories after a troubled few years.

From BBC

Related Words

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