Meaning & use
splendid
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Very impressive to look at, especially because of rich detail, size or beauty.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after be: a splendid palace, the view was splendid.
Patterns
- a splendid view
- look splendid
The castle looked splendid in the evening light.
They wore splendid costumes for the festival.
From the hill there is a splendid view of the harbor.
adjectivecomparableinformalBritish
Very good or enjoyable, used to show strong approval.
Grammar: Often used in speech as a reply: That's splendid! It sounds slightly British or dated.
Patterns
- a splendid idea
- splendid news
What a splendid idea to have dinner outside!
The team did a splendid job on the project.
Splendid, I will see you on Friday then.
Word forms
| comparative | more splendid |
|---|---|
| superlative | most splendid |
Common combinations
- splendid view
- The hotel room has a splendid view of the lake.
- splendid isolation
- The old lighthouse stood in splendid isolation on the cliff.
- splendid idea
- Staying overnight was a splendid idea.
- looks splendid
- The garden looks splendid in spring.
- splendid performance
- The orchestra gave a splendid performance.
Synonyms and how they differ
- magnificent
- Magnificent is stronger and suggests grand scale, while splendid can also be used for ordinary good things.
- superb
- Superb stresses very high quality or skill, rather than visual richness.
- glorious
- Glorious suggests a radiant, uplifting beauty, often about weather or nature.
- wonderful
- Wonderful is the common everyday choice and sounds less formal or dated than splendid.
Opposites
Word family
- splendor noun
- great beauty or grandeur
- splendidly adverb
- in a very impressive or excellent way
- splendiferous adjective
- a humorous word meaning splendid
- resplendent adjective
- shining brilliantly in a rich display
Commonly confused: splendid or splendor? splendid or resplendent?
splendid vs splendor
Splendor is the noun for the quality; splendid is the adjective.
splendid vs resplendent
Resplendent means shining brightly, often with color or decoration, and is more specific than splendid.
Practice
Which word best completes: 'The palace gardens looked absolutely ___ in the spring sunshine.'
Choose one answer.
After looked an adjective is needed, and splendid is one. Splendor is a noun and splendidly is an adverb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “splendid”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.