Meaning & use
grandeur
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Meanings
noununcountable
The quality of being so large, splendid or majestic that people feel admiration or awe when they see it.
Grammar: Not used with an or a plural: the grandeur of the palace, not a grandeur.
Patterns
- the grandeur of something
- a sense of grandeur
Visitors fell silent at the grandeur of the mountain range.
The grandeur of the cathedral made the small crowd seem tiny.
Nothing prepares you for the grandeur of the canyon at sunrise.
noununcountableformal
High social rank or an impressive, rich style of living that shows off wealth or importance.
Grammar: Often used about the past or about a building or family that once had status.
Patterns
- former grandeur
- live in grandeur
The hotel still carries traces of its former grandeur.
The family lived in a grandeur that few of their neighbors could imagine.
Common combinations
- former grandeur
- The ruined theater still hinted at its former grandeur.
- faded grandeur
- The old ballroom had a faded grandeur that guests found charming.
- natural grandeur
- The valley's natural grandeur draws painters every summer.
- delusions of grandeur
- He has delusions of grandeur and thinks he will run the company within a year.
- the grandeur of
- The film captures the grandeur of the open prairie.
Synonyms and how they differ
- splendor
- Splendor stresses brilliant beauty and richness, whereas grandeur adds the idea of great size or dignity.
- majesty
- Majesty suggests noble, almost royal dignity, and it is often used for nature or rulers, where grandeur can also describe a building or style of living.
- magnificence
- Magnificence is closer to lavish richness and fine detail, while grandeur is more about overall scale and impact.
- pomp
- Pomp describes showy ceremony and can sound slightly critical, but grandeur is usually admiring.
Opposites
Word family
- grand adjective
- impressive in size or style
- grandly adverb
- in an impressive or showy way
- grandiose adjective
- impressive in a way that seems too ambitious or showy
- grandiosity noun
- the quality of being grandiose
Commonly confused: grandeur or grandiosity?
grandeur vs grandiosity
Grandiosity is often negative and suggests exaggerated self-importance, while grandeur is usually a positive quality of something truly impressive.
Practice
Choose the best word to complete the sentence: 'Tourists were struck by the ___ of the ancient temple rising out of the jungle.'
Choose one answer.
Grandeur fits an awe-inspiring temple. The other nouns describe qualities that would not make visitors feel admiration in this way.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “grandeur”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.