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Dictionary / glory

glory

/ˈɡlɔː.ɹi/ (Received-Pronunciation)/ˈɡloː.ɹɪj/ (British, Southern, Standard)/ˈɡloɹ.i/ (Canada, General-American)
  • noun
  • verb
  • from Old French

Great beauty and splendor.

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1 All current definitions

Every sense of “glory” in current use, as recorded by Wiktionary. Older and obsolete senses are kept separately.

noun

  1. countableuncountableGreat beauty and splendor.

    One of the hidden glories of Victorian engineering is proper drains. Isolating a city’s effluent and shipping it away in underground sewers has probably saved more lives than any medical procedure except vaccination.2014 June 14, “It's a gas”, in The Economist, volume 411, number 8891:

  2. countableuncountableHonour, admiration, or distinction, accorded by common consent to a person or thing; high reputation; renown.

    In this faire wize they traueild long yfere, Through many hard assayes, which did betide; Of which he honour still away did beare, And spred his glorie through all countries wide.1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, page 197:

  3. countableuncountableThat quality in a person or thing which secures general praise or honour.

    Deeme it no gloire to swell in tyrannie.c. 1580 (date written), Philippe Sidnei [i.e., Philip Sidney], “(please specify the folio)”, in [Fulke Greville; Matthew Gwinne; John Florio], editors, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia [The New Arcadia], London: […] [J

  4. countableuncountableWorship or praise.

    Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Luke 2:14:

  5. countableuncountableAn optical phenomenon, consisting of concentric rings and somewhat similar to a rainbow, caused by sunlight or moonlight interacting with the water droplets that compose mist or clouds, centered on the antisolar or antilunar point.
  6. countableuncountableVictory; success.

    But, with United fans in celebratory mood as it appeared their team might snatch glory, they faced an anxious wait as City equalised in stoppage time.2012 May 13, Alistair Magowan, “Sunderland 0-1 Man Utd”, in BBC Sport:

  7. countableuncountableAn emanation of light supposed to shine from beings that are specially holy. It is represented in art by rays of gold, or the like, proceeding from the head or body, or by a disk, or a mere line.

    Seen across the dim candle with his moistened eyes, she looked as if she had a glory shining round her head.1854, Charles Dickens, chapter 13, in Hard Times. For These Times, London: Bradbury & Evans, […], →OCLC:

  8. countableuncountableThe manifestation of the presence of God as perceived by humans in Abrahamic religions.
  9. countableuncountableSomething glorious.

    It was a woman’s clothing, beyond a doubt, […] The two men gazed at the heap of feminine glories, — it might have been the most wonderful sight they ever had seen.1897, Richard Marsh, The Beetle:

Older & obsolete senses (1)
  1. countableobsoleteuncountablePride; boastfulness; arrogance.
Wiktionary: “glory” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

verb

  1. To exult with joy; to rejoice.

    In what the Apostle did glory?—He gloried in a Cross. ... [T]o the Ear of a Galatian, it conveyed much the same Meaning, as if the Apostle had gloried in a Halter; gloried in the Gallows; gloried in a Gibbet.1753, James Hervey, A Visitation Sermon: Preached at Northampton, May 10, 1753:

  2. To boast; to be proud.

    For if in anything I have gloried to him on your behalf, I was not put to shame; but as we spake all things to you in truth, so our glorying also, which I made before Titus, was found to be truth.1881, Revised Version, 2 Corinthians 7:14

Older & obsolete senses (1)
  1. archaicpoeticTo shine radiantly.
Wiktionary: “glory” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0
Cross-check: WordNet senses (4)
  1. nouna state of high honor — also: glorification
  2. nounbrilliant radiant beauty — also: resplendence, resplendency
  3. nounan indication of radiant light drawn around the head of a saint — also: aura, aureole, halo, nimbus, gloriole
  4. verbrejoice proudly
Princeton WordNet 3.0 — WordNet License

Synonyms: halo, praise, worship, fame, honor, honour

Wiktionary: “glory” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

2 History of the word

The etymology, the path the word travelled, and the words built from it.

The word’s journey, newest to oldest:

  1. English (today)glory
  2. Middle Englishglory
  3. Old Frenchglorie “glory”
  4. Latinglōria “glory, fame, renown, praise, ambition, boasting”

From Middle English glory, glorie, from Old French glorie (“glory”), from Latin glōria (“glory, fame, renown, praise, ambition, boasting”). Doublet of gloria. Displaced native Old English wuldor.

Wiktionary: “glory” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Derivatives — words built from “glory”

beglorydisgloryforegloryGloriaglorificationglorifulglorifyglorilessglorinessgloriousgloriouslyglorisomeglory-boxgloryfulglory-holeglory-landglorylessglory-of-the-snowglory-of-the-sunglory-worthyingloriousvainglory

Phrases & compounds

Autumn Gloryblaze of glorycover oneself in glorycrowning glorydark jungle glorydegree of gloryglory beGlory Beglory boxglory boyglory bushglory daysglory holeglory hunterglory lilyglory peaglory supporterglory treeglory wallhand of glory
Wiktionary: “glory” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Want to go deeper? See also “glory” on Etymonline ↗

3 Original language

Where “glory” came from before it was English.

Came into English from
Old French
Old French glorie “glory”
Oldest written form
Latin
Latin glōria “glory, fame, renown, praise, ambition, boasting”
Wiktionary: “glory” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

4 Original meaning

What the word meant at the oldest point the record reaches.

Latin
“glory, fame, renown, praise, ambition, boasting”
Latin glōria
Wiktionary: “glory” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Historical meaning — Webster’s 1913

A historical record, labelled as such: some of these senses are dated or have since shifted.

glory n. [OE. glorie, OF. glorie, gloire, F. gloire, fr. L. gloria; prob. akin to Gr. kle`os, Skr. glory, praise, to hear. See Loud.]

  1. Praise, honor, admiration, or distinction, accorded by common consent to a person or thing; high reputation; honorable fame; renown.
  2. That quality in a person or thing which secures general praise or honor; that which brings or gives renown; an object of pride or boast; the occasion of praise; excellency; brilliancy; splendor.
  3. Pride; boastfulness; arrogance.
  4. The presence of the Divine Being; the manifestations of the divine nature and favor to the blessed in heaven; celestial honor; heaven.

glory v. i. [OE. glorien, OF. glorier, fr. L. gloriari, fr. gloria glory. See Glory, n.]

  1. To exult with joy; to rejoice.
  2. To boast; to be proud.
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), public domain, via GCIDE

5 Use it with confidence

Model sentences from the sources, matched to the meaning they show. Read each one aloud, then make your own in the game.

nounMeaning: Great beauty and splendor.

One of the hidden glories of Victorian engineering is proper drains. Isolating a city’s effluent and shipping it away in underground sewers has probably saved more lives than any medical procedure except vaccination.2014 June 14, “It's a gas”, in The Economist, volume 411, number 8891:

nounMeaning: Honour, admiration, or distinction, accorded by common consent to a person or thing; high reputation; renown.

In this faire wize they traueild long yfere, Through many hard assayes, which did betide; Of which he honour still away did beare, And spred his glorie through all countries wide.1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, page 197:

nounMeaning: That quality in a person or thing which secures general praise or honour.

Deeme it no gloire to swell in tyrannie.c. 1580 (date written), Philippe Sidnei [i.e., Philip Sidney], “(please specify the folio)”, in [Fulke Greville; Matthew Gwinne; John Florio], editors, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia [The New Arcadia], London: […] [J

As jewels lose their glory if neglected, So princes their renowns if not respected.c. 1607–1608 (date written), William Shakespeare, [George Wilkins?], The Late, and Much Admired Play, Called Pericles, Prince of Tyre. […], London: […] [William White and Thomas Creede] for Henry Gosson, […], published 1

nounMeaning: Worship or praise.

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Luke 2:14:

nounMeaning: Victory; success.

But, with United fans in celebratory mood as it appeared their team might snatch glory, they faced an anxious wait as City equalised in stoppage time.2012 May 13, Alistair Magowan, “Sunderland 0-1 Man Utd”, in BBC Sport:

nounMeaning: An emanation of light supposed to shine from beings that are specially holy. It is represented in art by rays of gold, or the like, proceeding from the head or body, or by a disk, or a mere line.

Seen across the dim candle with his moistened eyes, she looked as if she had a glory shining round her head.1854, Charles Dickens, chapter 13, in Hard Times. For These Times, London: Bradbury & Evans, […], →OCLC:

nounMeaning: a state of high honor

he valued glory above life itself

nounMeaning: brilliant radiant beauty

the glory of the sunrise

Princeton WordNet 3.0 — WordNet License
Wiktionary: “glory” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Three steps to owning it

  1. Pick one meaning above and read its model sentence out loud.
  2. Say who or what the word is about in your own life, then build a sentence around that.
  3. Check it against the definition: would a careful reader understand exactly that meaning?

6 The mastery game

Play it here, or print it and do it with pen and paper. At the end you will know the meanings, history, origin and original meaning — and you will have used the word yourself.

Step 1 of 7

Say it, then spell it

glory

/ˈɡlɔː.ɹi/

Say the word out loud three times, slowly. Notice the stressed syllable. When you are ready, hide it and spell it from memory.

Activate Words · Word-mastery worksheet · Name: ______________________ Date: __________

glory

/ˈɡlɔː.ɹi/ · noun, verb

Step 1 — Say it and write it

Say “glory” out loud three times. Then cover the word and write it three times from memory.

Step 2 — Know every meaning

Read each definition. Then write it again in your own words.

1. (noun) Great beauty and splendor.
2. (noun) Honour, admiration, or distinction, accorded by common consent to a person or thing; high reputation; renown.
3. (noun) That quality in a person or thing which secures general praise or honour.
4. (noun) Worship or praise.
5. (noun) An optical phenomenon, consisting of concentric rings and somewhat similar to a rainbow, caused by sunlight or moonlight interacting with the water droplets that compose mist or clouds, centered on the antisolar or antilunar point.

Step 3 — History and origin

Which language did “glory” come into English from?   A. Latin  B. Old Norse  C. Medieval Latin  D. Old French

Write the word’s journey back in time (each language and form):

Write three words built from “glory” and what each means:

Step 4 — Original meaning

The earliest traceable form is Latin glōria. What did it mean?

How does that original meaning connect to the meanings today?

Step 5 — Use it yourself

Write a sentence using “glory” to mean: Great beauty and splendor.
Write a sentence using “glory” to mean: Honour, admiration, or distinction, accorded by common consent to a person or thing; high reputation; renown.
Write a sentence using “glory” to mean: That quality in a person or thing which secures general praise or honour.

☐ I can explain its meanings   ☐ I know its history   ☐ I know its original language   ☐ I know its original meaning   ☐ I can use it confidently

Answer key — glory

Origin: D. Old French (Old French glorie)

Journey: English glory ← Middle English glory ← Old French glorie ← Latin glōria

Some derivatives: beglory, disglory, foreglory, Gloria, glorification, gloriful, glorify, gloriless

Original meaning: Latin glōria — “glory, fame, renown, praise, ambition, boasting”

Etymology: From Middle English glory, glorie, from Old French glorie (“glory”), from Latin glōria (“glory, fame, renown, praise, ambition, boasting”). Doublet of gloria. Displaced native Old English wuldor.

Sources: Wiktionary “glory” (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/glory#English), CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org; Princeton WordNet 3.0; Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913, public domain) via GCIDE. Worksheet from https://activatewords.com/w/glory