august means awe-inspiring, majestic, noble, venerable. It carries an Arena rating of 1556, earned across 2 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, august ranks #788 of 14,431 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound, #2,322 of 14,423 for Most Sublime Words, #2,330 of 14,414 for Most Elegant Words, #2,678 of 14,410 for Most Ponderous Words.
august is pronounced /ɔːˈɡʌst/.
Why “august” is a great word
Inspiring reverence or admiration due to majestic dignity, grandeur, or nobility. From Latin augustus ('majestic, venerable, imperial'), from augeō ('to increase, enlarge'). Unlike 'grand,' which dazzles with scale and spectacle, or 'stately,' which moves with measured, ceremonial grace, august implies an inherent, awe-inspiring majesty that commands solemn veneration. It is the deep hush within a vaulted cathedral, the weathered bronze of a monument to forgotten virtue, or the terrible, silent weight of a mountain range against the twilight sky—a quality that enlarges the spirit by reminding it of something greater than itself.
Etymology
From French auguste (“noble, stately; august”) or Latin augustus (“majestic, venerable, august; imperial, royal”), from augeō (“to augment, increase; to enlarge, expand, spread”). Doublet of August and Augustus.
adj
- Awe-inspiring, majestic, noble, venerable.e.g.“an august patron of the arts”
- Of noble birth.e.g.“an august lineage”
name
- The eighth month of the Roman, Julian, and Gregorian calendars, following July and preceding September.e.g.“Holonyms: calendar year; year”
- A female given name from English derived from the month (of birth).
- A male given name from Latin.e.g.“Thirteen year old August is the eldest; he begins to pull the kite downward. Like his sister and brother, June and July, he has been named after the month in which he was born.”
- A surname from Latin.
- A census-designated place in San Joaquin County, California, United States.
verb
- To make ripe; ripen.
- To bring to realization.e.g.“By divine science and cœlestial art / He for the cause of the dear nations toiled, / And augusted man's heavenly hopes that so, / […] / he might, by awful rites / […] / Adhæsion with Divinity achieve.”
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- venerable 88% match — Commanding respect because of age, dignity, character or position. vs august →
- majesty 88% match — The quality of being impressive, great, dignified, powerful, sovereign, or any combination thereof. vs august →
- magnificence 88% match — grandeur, brilliance, lavishness or splendor vs august →
- reverence 88% match — Veneration; profound awe and respect, normally in a sacred context. vs august →
- venerate 87% match — To treat with great respect and deference. vs august →
- regal 87% match — Of, pertaining to, or suitable for royalty. vs august →
- reverential 87% match — Showing or characterized by reverence; respectful. vs august →
- sublimity 87% match — The quality or state of being sublime. vs august →