gorgeous (adj.)

c. 1500, "splendid, showy, sumptuously adorned" (of clothing), from French gorgias "elegant, fashionable," a word of unknown origin; perhaps a special use of gorgias "necklace" (and thus "fond of or resembling jewelry"), from Old French gorge "throat," also "something adorning the throat" (see gorge (n.)). A connection to the Greek proper name Gorgias (supposedly in reference to a notorious sophist) also has been proposed. Related: Gorgeousness.

also from c. 1500

Entries linking to gorgeous

gorge (n.)

mid-14c., "throat," from Old French gorge "throat; a narrow passage" (12c.), from Late Latin gurges "gullet, throat, jaws," also "gulf, whirlpool," which probably is related to Latin gurgulio "gullet, windpipe," from a reduplicated form of PIE root *gwora- "food, devouring." Transferred sense of "deep, narrow valley" was in Old French. From 1520s as "what has been swallowed," hence in figurative phrases indicating nauseating disgust.

gorgeously (adv.)

1530s, from gorgeous + -ly (2).

Trends of gorgeous

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/. Ngrams are probably unreliable.

More to Explore

splendid

earlier splendidious "wonderful magnificent" (early 15c.), from Latin splendidus "bright, shining, glittering; sumptuous, gorgeous...

splendiferous

"brilliant, gorgeous," etymologically "splendor-bearing," considered a playful elaboration since its re-birth in 1843, but...

militia

1580s, "system of military discipline," from Latin militia "military service, warfare," from miles "soldier" (see military (adj.)). The sense of "citizen army" (as distinct from professional soldiers) is first recorded 1690s, perhaps from a sense in French cognate milice. Histori

raven

Late Old English ræfen, refen, earlier hræfn (Mercian), hrefn, hræfn (Northumbrian, West Saxon), from Proto-Germanic *khrabanaz (source also of Old Norse hrafn, Danish ravn, Dutch raaf, Old High German hraban, German Rabe "raven," Old English hroc "rook"), from a PIE root imitati

refugee

1680s, "one who flees to a refuge or shelter or place of safety; one who in times of persecution or political disorder flees to a foreign country for safety," from French refugié, a noun use of the past participle of refugier "to take shelter, protect," from Old French refuge "hi

measure

early 14c., mesuren, "to exercise moderation;" mid-14c., "to deal out or divide up by measure," also "to ascertain spatial dimensions, quantity, or capacity of by comparison with a standard;" from Old French mesurer "measure; moderate, curb" (12c.), from Late Latin mensurare "to

right

[correct, morally correct, direct] Old English riht, of actions, "just, good, fair, in conformity with moral law; proper, fitting, according to standard; rightful, legitimate, lawful; correct in belief, orthodox;" of persons or their characters, "disposed to do what is good or ju

adjective

"word used to qualify, limit, or define a noun or noun-like part of speech," late 14c., short for noun adjective, from Old French adjectif (14c.), from Latin adjectivum "that is added to (the noun)," neuter of adjectivus "added," past participle of adicere "throw to, fling at, th

empty

c. 1200, from Old English æmettig, of persons, "at leisure, not occupied; unmarried" (senses now obsolete), also, of receptacles, "containing nothing," of places, "unoccupied," from æmetta "leisure." Watkins explains it as from Proto-Germanic *e-mot-ja-, with a prefix of uncertai

digital

mid-15c., "pertaining to numbers below ten;" 1650s, "pertaining to fingers," from Latin digitalis, from digitus "finger or toe" (see digit). The numerical sense is because numerals under 10 were counted on fingers. Meaning "using numerical digits" is from 1938, especially of comp

Share gorgeous

‘cite’

Page URL:

https://www.etymonline.com/word/gorgeous

HTML Link:

<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/gorgeous">Etymology of gorgeous by etymonline</a>

APA style:

Harper, D. (n.d.). Etymology of gorgeous. Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved $(datetime), from https://www.etymonline.com/word/gorgeous

Chicago style:

Harper Douglas, “Etymology of gorgeous,” Online Etymology Dictionary, accessed $(datetime), https://www.etymonline.com/word/gorgeous.

MLA style:

Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of gorgeous.” Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/gorgeous. Accessed $(datetimeMla).

IEEE style:

D. Harper. “Etymology of gorgeous.” Online Etymology Dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/word/gorgeous (accessed $(datetime)).

updated on December 08, 2020

Remove ads >

Trending words

1. teacher
2. autumn
3. empathy
4. philadelphia
5. research
6. vote
7. pan
8. deluge
9. humble
10. compassion

Dictionary entries near gorgeous

GOP

gopher

Gordian knot

gore

gorge

gorgeous

gorgeously

gorget

gorgon

gorgonzola

gorilla