glory

1 of 3

noun

glo·​ry ˈglȯr-ē How to pronounce glory (audio)
plural glories
1
a
: praise, honor, or distinction extended by common consent : renown
b
: worshipful praise, honor, and thanksgiving
giving glory to God
2
a
: something that secures praise or renown
the glory of a brilliant career
b
: a distinguished quality or asset
The glory of the city is its Gothic cathedral.
3
a
: a state of great gratification or exaltation
When she's acting she's in her glory.
b
: a height of prosperity or achievement
ancient Rome in its glory
4
a(1)
: great beauty and splendor : magnificence
… the glory that was Greece and the grandeur that was Rome.E. A. Poe
(2)
: something marked by beauty or resplendence
a perfect glory of a day
b
: the splendor and beatific happiness of heaven
broadly : eternity
5
: a ring or spot of light: such as
a
b
: a halo appearing around the shadow of an object

glory

2 of 3

verb

gloried; glorying

intransitive verb

: to rejoice proudly
used with in
gloried in their great success

glory

3 of 3

interjection

variants or glory be
used to express surprise or delight

Examples of glory in a Sentence

Noun As a young soldier he dreamed of winning military glory. He now has only a few trophies to remind him of the glory of his athletic career. Let us give glory to God. The glory of the town is its fountain. an art exhibit showing off the glories of ancient civilizations The new owners are trying to restore the company to its former glory. The beautiful art reminds us of the glory of the empire. Verb the whole city gloried in the home team's winning of the World Series Interjection glory! I thought I'd never see this day come
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
White pedestals rise out of the floor whenever a character needs to be elevated, either in glory or shame. Sara Holdren, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2024 Among the 18 players for both teams to give a pregame press conference, Rizzo talked about a litany of topics, including his experience on the 2016 Chicago Cubs, who overcame a three games to one deficit to taste World Series glory for the first time since 1908. Larry Fleisher, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024
Verb
Messi, at 35, led his country to glory against France, winning soccer’s ultimate prize in a pulsating match that finished 3-3 after extra time and had to be settled by a nerve-wracking penalty shootout. Patrick Smith, NBC News, 19 Dec. 2022 If Harris can bring together a family with Indian, African, and Jewish heritage, America can glory in its diversity. Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 26 Aug. 2020 See all Example Sentences for glory 

Word History

Etymology

Noun, Verb, and Interjection

Middle English glorie, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, from Latin gloria

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Interjection

1816, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of glory was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near glory

Cite this Entry

“Glory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glory. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

glory

1 of 2 noun
glo·​ry ˈglōr-ē How to pronounce glory (audio)
ˈglȯr-
plural glories
1
a
: praise, honor, or distinction given by common consent
b
: worshipful praise, honor, and thanksgiving
2
a
: something that brings praise or renown
b
: a distinguished quality or brilliant asset
the glory of the town was its fountain
3
a
: great beauty : splendor sense 2
b
: the splendor and bliss of heaven
4
: a height of prosperity or achievement
in her glory when she's painting

glory

2 of 2 verb
gloried; glorying
: to rejoice proudly : exult
he gloried in his fame

More from Merriam-Webster on glory

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!