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Synonyms

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

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

"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

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

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.

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

It is a splendid example of how to do a fully rounded work on a people at total war, of how to use a vast mix of sources, and to keep the story going.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 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

It wasn’t long before the splendid Yak-1 fighter planes were delivered to Engels.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein