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grandeur

American  
[gran-jer, -joor] / ˈgræn dʒər, -dʒʊər /

noun

  1. the quality or state of being impressive or awesome.

    the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains.

  2. the quality or state of being lofty or elevated in conception or treatment.

    the grandeur of a prose style.

  3. the quality or state of being exalted in some deliberate way.

    the grandeur of a royal court.
    Synonyms:
    splendor, pomp, majesty, stateliness

  4. an instance of something that is grand.

    the grandeurs of Rembrandt's paintings.
grandeur British  
/ ˈɡrændʒə /

noun

  1. personal greatness, esp when based on dignity, character, or accomplishments

  2. magnificence; splendour

  3. pretentious or bombastic behaviour

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of grandeur

1490–1500; < French, Old French, equivalent to grand- grand + -eur -or 1

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.

He was forced out because fans and board had delusions of grandeur after Moyes won the club silverware and now it's a relegation battle the club look ill equipped for.

From BBC • Jan. 3, 2026

In some ways the films seem to invite accusations of pretension, of reach exceeding grasp and grandeur stretched into grandiosity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 24, 2025

The Sphere is a legitimate phenomenon, looming over the skyline with alien grandeur, hosting everyone from the Backstreet Boys to the Kamala Harris campaign.

From Slate • Nov. 18, 2025

When Mobutu fell, "we realised that his grandeur was built on hot air," said Ruberangabo, the former lawmaker.

From Barron's • Nov. 13, 2025

If the outside of the Hema reflected what the old tent had once been, the interior clung to its former grandeur with a desperate grip.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

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.