grandeur means the state of being grand or splendid; magnificence. It carries an Arena rating of 1539, earned across 2 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, grandeur ranks #838 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #1,411 of 17,130 for Most Beautiful Words, #2,618 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words, #3,919 of 17,128 for Most Ponderous Words.
grandeur is pronounced /ˈɡɹæn.djʊə/.
Why “grandeur” is a great word
The quality of being magnificent, splendid, or impressively grand in appearance, style, or character. From Middle French grandeur, from Old French grandur, from grant (French grand, "great"), from Latin grandis ("grown up, great"), first attested in English c. 1500. Unlike "opulence," which cloaks itself in velvet and gold, or "simplicity," which stands barefoot in linen, grandeur is the hush beneath a vaulted cathedral ceiling, the slow burn of sunset on alpine snow, the unshakable dignity of an old oak standing sentinel—less a matter of ornament than of presence, as if scale itself could carry a moral weight.
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French grandeur, from Old French grandur, from grant (French grand), from Latin grandis (“grown up, great”).
noun
- The state of being grand or splendid; magnificence.e.g.“I wrapp’d myself in grandeur then,
And donn’d a visionary crown ——” — 1829, Edgar Allan Poe, “Tamerlane”, in Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane and Minor Poems:
- Nobility (state of being noble).
- Greatness; largeness; tallness; loftiness.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- magnificence 78% match — grandeur, brilliance, lavishness or splendor vs grandeur →
- grandezza 77% match — Grandeur, greatness, magnificence. vs grandeur →
- grandity 75% match — grandness vs grandeur →
- grandioseness 73% match — The state or condition of being grandiose. vs grandeur →
- majesty 70% match — The quality of being impressive, great, dignified, powerful, sovereign, or any combination thereof. vs grandeur →
- splendidness 65% match — the state or the quality of being splendid. vs grandeur →
- greatness 64% match — The state, condition, or quality of being great vs grandeur →
- majesticness 64% match — The quality of being majestic; majesty vs grandeur →