gorgeous
Americanadjective
-
strikingly beautiful or magnificent
gorgeous array
a gorgeous girl
-
informal extremely pleasing, fine, or good
gorgeous weather
Related Words
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.
The Campaign to Protect Rural England had a gorgeous carved wooden figure of Mother Nature, illustrating the theme of gardens at the edge of towns.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
And, in keeping: I am distracted by her: her sizable ring, her gorgeous greige blond hair.
From Slate • May 10, 2026
Similarly, his state-of-the-art sound mix rescues the gorgeous detail in her singing from the inevitable muddiness of an arena sound system.
From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026
But the movie’s slow pace and lack of excitement leave only Yoshio Miyajima’s gorgeous cinematography as a lure.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026
She looked gorgeous, with this ombre lip gloss and a deep burgundy strapless dress that set off her blond hair.
From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon
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.
