The Meaning of Gorgeous: What It Is and How To Use It

Do you know the definition of gorgeous? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on the word gorgeous, including its definition, etymology, usage, example sentences, and more!

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What does the word gorgeous mean?

According to Collins English Dictionary and the American Heritage Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, the word gorgeous is an adjective that means beautiful or attractive. The suffixes ly and ness can be added to the end of the word gorgeous to make the related words gorgeously (adv.) and gorgeousness (n.). Gorgeous is two syllables – gor-geous – and the pronunciation of gorgeous is gɔːʳdʒəs. Many things can be described as gorgeous, including a gorgeous sunset, a gorgeous time, a gorgeous gown, a gorgeous jaw, gorgeous women, and more. 

Many other languages also contain words that mean gorgeous (adj.). You may notice that many of these words look and sound similar to the word gorgeous. These are called cognates, which are words and phrases that mean the same thing as well as look and sound similar between languages. These are often formed when two words have the same root word or language of origin like Latin or Greek. This list of translations of gorgeous is provided by Word Sense.

  •  Turkish: debdebeli‎, görkemli‎, göz kamaştırıcı‎, harikulade‎, muhteşem‎
  •  Hungarian: bámulatos‎, káprázatos‎
  •  Russian: великоле́пный‎, прекра́сный‎
  •  Indonesian: anggun‎
  •  German: fantastisch‎, großartig‎, herrlich‎, hinreißend‎, prachtvoll‎, sagenhaft‎, toll‎ (coll.), traumhaft‎, umwerfend‎ (coll.), wunderschön‎
  •  Polish: przepiękny‎
  •  Mandarin: 華麗‎, 华丽‎ (huálì), 絢爛‎, 绚烂‎ (xuànlàn)
  •  Italian: magnifico‎ (masc.), splendido‎ (masc.), favoloso‎ (masc.), stupendo‎ (masc.)
  •  Haitian Creole: mayifik‎
  •  Catalan: esplèndit‎, magnífic‎, maquíssim‎ (aplicat a persones).
  •  Finnish: upea‎, hulppea‎
  •  Romanian: magnific‎ (masc.) (n), splendid‎ (masc.) (n), superb‎ (masc.)
  •  French: magnifique‎
  •  Azeri: möhtəşəm‎
  •  Spanish: guapísimo‎
  •  Latvian: krāšņs‎, grezns‎
  •  Portuguese: magnífico‎ (masc.), lindíssimo‎ (masc.)
  •  Icelandic: gullfallegur‎
  •  Norwegian: smellvakker‎

What is the origin of the word gorgeous?

According to Etymonline, the word gorgeous has been used since c16 as the Early modern English gorgious and earlier gorgeouse and comes from the French gorgias and Old French gorge meaning throat, which was likely used to refer to the swelling of the throat or bosom due to pride. This sense evolved to assuming an air of importance or flaunting.

How can the word gorgeous be used in a sentence?

The word gorgeous can be used in many different ways in the English language. Using words in a sentence is a great way to learn their definition, as are making flashcards or quizzes for yourself. Below are many examples of gorgeous to get you started with incorporating this word into your vocabulary. 

The contest judges of the pageant thought Brigitt was gorgeous, and her virtuosic brilliance in the talent portion of the competition made her a show in for the crown. Her magnificence won everyone over, make and female.

The cosmetics industry uses gorgeous models with an air of importance to advertise their skincare products. This is so that they convince the buyer that the products work better.

Magnificent people in sumptuous clothing looked gorgeous at the resort villa and rental home during their oceanfront vacation. On social media they posted about all of the great times they had and every photo was absolutely breathtaking.

What are synonyms and antonyms of the word gorgeous?

There are many different words and phrases that a person can use in place of the word gorgeous. These are called synonyms, which are words and phrases that have the same meaning as another word or phrase. Synonyms are useful to know if you are trying not to repeat yourself in conversation or a written work, as well as if you are trying to expand your vocabulary. This list of synonyms for the word gorgeous is provided by Power Thesaurus

  • enjoyable
  •  out of this world
  •  spectacular
  •  imposing
  •  pleasing
  •  bewitching
  •  delightful
  •  fetching
  •  radiant
  •  superb
  •  sexy
  •  swell
  •  glorious
  •  incredible
  •  well-formed
  •  graceful
  •  dreamy
  •  beauteous
  •  splendid
  •  smashing
  •  luscious
  •  grand
  •  sublime
  •  sweet
  •  knockout
  •  beautiful
  •  magnificent
  •  excellent
  •  fabulous
  •  impressive
  •  fair
  •  handsome
  •  taking
  •  good
  •  resplendent
  •  statuesque
  •  amazing
  •  dazzling
  •  enticing
  •  alluring
  •  elegant
  •  nice
  •  striking
  •  breathtaking
  •  brilliant
  •  opulent
  •  super
  •  plush
  •  engaging
  •  glamorous
  •  prepossessing
  •  marvelous
  •  splendiferous
  •  marvellous
  •  sightly
  •  pulchritudinous
  •  good-looking
  •  stunning
  •  aesthetic
  •  fine
  •  bonny
  •  attractive
  •  lavish
  •  terrific
  •  fascinating
  •  wonderful
  •  sensational
  •  sumptuous
  •  beguiling 
  •  fantastic
  •  admirable
  •  classy
  •  lovely
  •  appealing
  •  pleasant
  •  extraordinary
  •  cute
  •  seductive
  •  charming
  •  astonishing
  •  irresistible
  •  comely
  •  winning
  •  exquisite
  •  divine
  •  captivating
  •  luxurious
  •  outstanding
  •  ravishing
  •  foxy
  •  hot
  •  great
  •  heavenly
  •  beaut
  •  enchanting
  •  awesome
  •  adorable
  •  pretty
  •  hottie
  •  well-favored

There are also numerous different words that mean the opposite of the word gorgeous. These opposite words are called antonyms. Antonyms are another great tool to use to expand your English language vocabulary. This list of antonyms for the word gorgeous is provided by Power Thesaurus as well. 

  • unprepossessing
  •  beastly
  •  crude
  •  foul
  •  misshapen
  •  awful
  •  vile
  •  repugnant
  •  repelling
  •  ugly
  •  unappealing
  •  uninteresting
  •  poor
  •  disgusting
  •  repulsive
  •  dreary
  •  deformed
  •   graceless
  •  unhappy
  •  frumpish
  •  uninviting
  •  unpretty
  •  as plain as a pikestaff
  •  terrible
  •  obnoxious
  •  stupid
  •  unaesthetic
  •  unalluring
  •  atrocious
  •  unaware
  •  wretched
  •  rotten
  •  grisly
  •  objectionable
  •  unhandsome
  •  despicable
  •  unpleasing
  •  abhorrent
  •  ugly as sin
  •  filthy
  •  everyday
  •  lousy
  •  displeasing
  •  unremarkable
  •  sickening
  •  distasteful
  •  shocking
  •  nasty
  •  as ugly as sin
  •  abominable
  •  ill-favoured
  •  usual
  •  uncute
  •  animal
  •  execrable
  •  depressed
  •  rough
  •  boring
  •  ghastly
  •  repellent
  •  typical
  •  shabby
  •  offensive
  •  unimpressive
  •  mediocre
  •  unintelligent
  •  frumpy
  •  plain
  •  appalling
  •  undesirable
  •  gross
  •  unpleasant
  •  uncomely
  •  unlovely
  •  loathsome
  •  insignificant
  •  bad
  •  dull
  •  disfigured
  •  unattractive
  •  revolting
  •  dark
  •  unsightly
  •  drab
  •  unbeautiful
  •  monstrous
  •  ill-favored
  •  homely
  •  grotesque
  •  hideous
  •  horrid
  •  dreadful
  •  inferior
  •  normal
  •  disagreeable
  •  frightful
  •  bad-looking
  •  second-rate
  •  ordinary
  •  horrible

Overall, the word gorgeous means beautiful or attractive. The word gorgeous can be used to describe many things both literally and figuratively. Try using this new word of the day in a sentence today!

Sources:

  1. gorgeous: meaning, origin, translation | Word Sense 
  2. Gorgeous synonyms – 1 132 Words and Phrases for Gorgeous | Power Thesaurus 
  3. Gorgeous antonyms – 644 Opposites of Gorgeous | Power Thesaurus 
  4. gorgeous | Origin and meaning of gorgeous | Online Etymology Dictionary
  5. Gorgeous definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary