splendid

American  

[splen-did] / ˈsplɛn dɪd /

adjective

1. gorgeous; magnificent; sumptuous.

   Synonyms:

   imposing, luxurious

   Antonyms:

   squalid

2. grand; superb, as beauty.

   Synonyms:

   first-rate, elegant, majestic

3. distinguished or glorious, as a name, reputation, victory, etc.

   Synonyms:

   noble, brilliant, remarkable, celebrated, conspicuous, eminent, illustrious, famous, famed, renowned

   Antonyms:

   ignoble, mediocre, unremarkable, ordinary

4. strikingly admirable or fine.

   splendid talents.

   Antonyms:

   poor, modest

5. excellent, fine, or very good.

   to have a splendid time.

6. brilliant in appearance, color, etc.

   Antonyms:

   drab, dull

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splendid British  

/ ˈsplɛndɪd /

adjective

1. brilliant or fine, esp in appearance

2. characterized by magnificence; imposing

3. glorious or illustrious

   a splendid reputation

4. brightly gleaming; radiant

   her splendid face

   splendid colours

5. very good or satisfactory

   a splendid time

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Related Words

See magnificent ( def. ).

Other Word Forms

• splendidly adverb
• splendidness noun
• unsplendid adjective
• unsplendidly adverb
• unsplendidness noun

Etymology

Origin of splendid

First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin splendidus “brilliant,” equivalent to splend(ēre) “to shine” + -idus adjective suffix; -id ⁴

Explanation

Looking truly magnificent today? Then someone (probably British) might stop you to say "Wow! You look splendid, darling!" Thanks the person, because splendid means glorious, fabulous, wonderful, and/or splendiferous. Use the adjective splendid to describe something of the highest quality. If you're so lucky as to have someone buy you, say, a Harry Winston diamond, splendid! But splendid doesn't apply only to expensive items such as jewelry, clothing, or art. You can also have a splendid idea, morning walk, or encounter with an old friend. For some, using Splenda in their coffee instead of sugar is, for them, well, splendid!

Example Sentences

In its many guises, idolatry has survived, despite regular and often cataclysmic proof of its dangers, for centuries and many people will consider a much-larger-than-life golden statue of a president to be perfectly splendid.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

Aimee Ng, chief curator at the Frick, has brought together 25 splendid portraits by Gainsborough—three of them from the museum’s holdings, the rest from collections in North America and the U.K.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026

Her take is a maelstrom of splendid beauty and doomed love, colliding at a feverish pace that makes the fidelity to Brontë’s book moot.

From Salon • Feb. 23, 2026

Elsewhere, Augsburg beat St Pauli 2-1 and Werder Bremen's Keke Topp snatched a point with a splendid late goal at home in a 1-1 draw with Borussia Moenchengladbach.

From Barron's • Jan. 31, 2026

Most people would have termed her a splendid woman of her age: and so she was, no doubt, physically speaking; but then there was an expression of almost insupportable haughtiness in her bearing and countenance.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

Related Words

• baroque
• beautiful
• bright
• brilliant
• dazzling
• elegant
• glittering
• gorgeous
• grand
• imposing
• impressive
• lavish
• lustrous
• magnificent
• marvelous
• ornate
• rich
• splashy
• sumptuous
• superb