Etymologically
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gorgeous

Etymology and origin of the English word gorgeous

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Formation
Borrowing
Borrowed from
Middle French gorgias via Middle English

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈɡɔːd͡ʒəs/ (UK); /ˈɡoɹd͡ʒəs/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English gorgeouse,[2][3][4] borrowed from Middle French gorgias (“elegant, fashionable”),[2][3][5][6] a word of uncertain origin,[6][4] perhaps from gorgias “necklace, wimple”[3][6] and so from Old French gorge “throat”.[2][3][5][6] Etymonline also mentions a proposed link with the Greek sophist Gorgias.[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Of people, with reference to dress: sumptuously adorned, showy, splendid (c1495).[7][5][6]

Semantic evolution

The word first described showy clothing and the people wearing it,[7][6] and then (1533) splendid things and colours,[7] and (1561) dazzling language.[7] From 1883 it was used colloquially as a general term of strong approval,[7] and today it usually means very beautiful or simply delightful.[2][4][1]

Timeline

  • c1495 – of people, sumptuously dressed.[7][5]
  • 1533 – of things, splendid, magnificent.[7]
  • 1561 – of style, dazzling.[7]
  • 1883 – (colloquial) wonderful, splendid.[7]

Modern meaning

Adjective

  1. Dazzlingly beautiful or magnificent.
  2. (informal) Wonderful; extremely enjoyable or pleasant.

Word family

  • gorgeously
  • gorgeousness
  • gorge

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  3. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ a b c Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  5. ^ a b c d Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Gorgeous.” Etymologically, 15 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/gorgeous. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·