glorious
/ˈɡloɹ.i.əs/adjective
glorious is spelled G-L-O-R-I-O-U-S: 8 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 12 times per million words in written English, the 6,230th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, glorious means “Exhibiting attributes, qualities, or acts that are worthy of or receive glory” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in glorious?
| Letters | 8: G-L-O-R-I-O-U-S |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 12 times per million words; the 6,230th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is glorious?
Glorious appears 12 times per million words in written English, the 6,230th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce glorious?
- UK /ˈɡlɔː.ɹi.əs/
- US /ˈɡloɹ.i.əs/
- Australia /ˈɡloː.ɹi.əs/
Glorious has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-glorious.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with glorious?
One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as glorious from its last stressed vowel (/oɹiəs/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of glorious
- more glorious comparative
- gloriouser comparative
- most glorious superlative
- gloriousest superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does glorious mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Exhibiting attributes, qualities, or acts that are worthy of or receive glory.
glorious deeds
- 2
Excellent, wonderful; delightful.
- 3
Bright or shining;
- 4
obsoleteEager for glory or distinction
- 5
obsoleteExcessively proud or boastful.
- 6
archaiccolloquialEcstatic; hilarious; elated with drink.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Glorious in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | glorieux , splendide |
| German | ruhmvoll, glorreich, herrlich , prachtvoll |
| Portuguese | glorioso |
| Spanish | glorioso |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does glorious come from?
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.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).