grandeur
Americannoun
-
the quality or state of being impressive or awesome.
the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains.
-
the quality or state of being lofty or elevated in conception or treatment.
the grandeur of a prose style.
-
the quality or state of being exalted in some deliberate way.
the grandeur of a royal court.
- Synonyms:
- splendor, pomp, majesty, stateliness
-
an instance of something that is grand.
the grandeurs of Rembrandt's paintings.
noun
-
personal greatness, esp when based on dignity, character, or accomplishments
-
magnificence; splendour
-
pretentious or bombastic behaviour
Etymology
Origin of grandeur
1490–1500; < French, Old French, equivalent to grand- grand + -eur -or 1
Explanation
Use the noun grandeur to describe something that is splendid or magnificent, such as a lofty idea or an impressive building: “The gilded domes and ornate detail added to the grandeur of the church on Red Square.” Derived from the Old French word grand, meaning “great,” the word grandeur is used to describe things that are distinguished, extraordinary, and impressive in scope. Consider the French origins of grandeur as a clue and note that this is a fancy word, best saved for describing things that are truly magnificent on a large scale. The simple beauty of a shadow’s pattern on a sidewalk probably doesn’t have grandeur, but a sunset over the Rocky Mountains probably does.
Vocabulary lists containing grandeur
100 SAT Words Beginning with "G"
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Achievement First 7th Grade IA 1 Words
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To All the Boys I've Loved Before
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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.
For Kaneko, 25, who lives in the Tokyo suburbs, it was the perfect encapsulation of American grandeur.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026
The cover of “Communion” eschews the grandeur of a Catholic cathedral, in favor of a photograph of a humble Methodist chapel in a rural part of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
From Salon ● Jun. 15, 2026
Shubow dismissed it as “ho-hum” and “lacking the grandeur of full-blown classical architecture.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026
"Seeing it on TV, it gives it that grandeur, but actually seeing it in person, it's really breathtaking."
From BBC ● May 30, 2026
And for a moment he had wonderful delusions of grandeur.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
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.
