glorious
English
Etymology
From Middle English glorious, from Anglo-Norman glorius and Old French glorïos, from Latin glōriōsus. Displaced native Middle English wulderful, from Old English wuldorfull (“glorious”), among other terms. Equivalent to glory + -ous.
Pronunciation
Adjective
glorious (comparative more glorious or gloriouser, superlative most glorious or gloriousest)
- Exhibiting attributes, qualities, or acts that are worthy of or receive glory.
- glorious deeds
- c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii], line 351:
- Farewell the neighing steed, and the shrill trump, / The spirit-stirring drum, th’ ear-piercing fife, / The royal banner, and all quality, / Pride, pomp and circumstance of glorious war!
- Excellent, wonderful; delightful.
- 1667, John Milton, “Book V”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
- These are thy glorious works, Parent of good.
- Bright or shining;
- Synonyms: splendid, resplendent, bright, shining
- 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i], line 351:
- And this fell tempest shall not cease to rage / Until the golden circuit on my head, / Like to the glorious sun’s transparent beams, / Do calm the fury of this mad-bred flaw.
- (obsolete) Eager for glory or distinction
- 1611 April (first recorded performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Cymbeline”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene vi], line 6:
- [...] but most miserable / Is the desire that’s glorious: blest be those, / How mean soe’er, that have their honest wills, / Which seasons comfort. […]
- (obsolete) Excessively proud or boastful.
- Synonyms: haughty, boastful, ostentatious, vainglorious
- c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire, London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act IIII, scene ii:
- Make heauen to frowne and euery fixed ſtarre
To ſucke vp poiſon from the Mooriſh Fens,
And poure it in this glorious Tyrants throat.
- (archaic, colloquial) Ecstatic; hilarious; elated with drink.
- 1681, [John Dryden], Absalom and Achitophel. A Poem. […], 3rd edition, London: […] J[acob] T[onson] and are to be sold by W. Davis […], published 1682, →OCLC, page 16:
- 1790 (date written; published 1791), Robert Burns, “Tam o’ Shanter. A Tale.”, in Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect, 2nd edition, volume II, Edinburgh: […] T[homas] Cadell, […], and William Creech, […], published 1793, →OCLC, page 198:
- Kings may be bleſt, but Tam was glorious, / O'er a' the ills o' life victorious!
Derived terms
Translations
exhibiting attributes, qualities, or acts that are worthy of or receive glory
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excellent, wonderful
splendid; resplendent; bright; shining
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
References
- Dobson, E. J. (1957) English pronunciation 1500-1700, second edition, volume II: Phonology, Oxford: Clarendon Press, published 1968, →OCLC, page 485.
Middle English
Etymology
Borrowed from Anglo-Norman glorius, glorios, glorieus, from Latin glōriōsus; equivalent to glory + -ous.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˌɡlɔːriˈuːs/, /ˌɡlɔriˈuːs/
- (with reduction) IPA(key): /ˈɡlɔːrius/, /ˈɡlɔrius/, /-rjus/
Adjective
glorious (comparative gloriousere, superlative gloriosest)
- Recognised, acclaimed, well-known; having an excellent reputation.
- Deserving religious recognition or commendation; godly.
- Marvelous or wonderful to the senses: attractive, pleasing.
- Amazing, great; possessing quality or a good reputation.
- (rare) Vain, bragging, self-aggrandising.
Related terms
Descendants
- English: glorious
References
- “glōriǒus, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-10-04.
Old French
Adjective
glorious m (oblique and nominative feminine singular gloriouse) (Anglo-Norman)
- glorious
- 13th century, Unknown, La Vie de Saint Laurent, page 11, column 2, line 2:
- dunc dist Damnedeu glorious
- so, he says [to] glorious God
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