splendid
Americanadjective
-
gorgeous; magnificent; sumptuous.
- Antonyms:
- squalid
-
grand; superb, as beauty.
- Synonyms:
- first-rate, elegant, majestic
-
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
-
strikingly admirable or fine.
splendid talents.
-
excellent, fine, or very good.
to have a splendid time.
-
brilliant in appearance, color, etc.
adjective
-
brilliant or fine, esp in appearance
-
characterized by magnificence; imposing
-
glorious or illustrious
a splendid reputation
-
brightly gleaming; radiant
her splendid face
splendid colours
-
very good or satisfactory
a splendid time
Synonym Usage
See magnificent ( def. ).
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of splendid
First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin splendidus “brilliant,” equivalent to splend(ēre) “to shine” + -idus adjective suffix; see -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!
Vocabulary lists containing splendid
"Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" by Rudyard Kipling
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Call of Beauty: Synonyms for "Beautiful"
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Thumbs Up: Synonyms for "Good"
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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.
After three splendid seasons in Italy with Atalanta, Ederson would seem overdue for a move - and may blame his final season in Serie A for missing out on the World Cup.
From BBC • May 27, 2026
The immediate answer is that several of next year’s Academy Award nominees are starting their long Oscar seasons at the splendid opening-night banquet where truffles adorned both the sea bass and the ice cream.
From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026
The museum gathers a splendid array of portraits to highlight the many meanings of fashion in the English painter’s work.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 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
She agreed they would establish a residence here, but she was aware of the city’s dubious past beneath its splendid architecture, culture, and history.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
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.
