splendeur
/splɑ̃.dœʁ/feminine
The English word "splendor" is translated into French as splendeur.
splendeur is a noun used to describe a magnificent appearance. You can use the related adjective splendide to mean "splendid" or the word éblouissant to mean "dazzling".
Meaning: magnificent appearance (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
splendeur is a feminine noun, so any accompanying adjective must agree with its feminine gender.
How do you pronounce it?
/splɑ̃.dœʁ/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- The phrase dans toute sa splendeur is frequently used ironically by French speakers to describe something that is a complete disaster or a mess.
- Unlike words that evolved naturally through spoken Vulgar Latin, splendeur entered French as a 'learned borrowing' from scholarly Latin texts.
- The synonym éblouissant implies a beauty so intense that it physically impairs the viewer's sight, literally meaning to be blinded by light.
Examples in context
- Au matin, les nuages s'étaient levés et toute la longueur de l'Himalaya s'étalait devant nous dans toute sa splendeur.By morning the clouds had lifted and the whole length of the Himalayas lay before us in all its splendor.This sentence shows the use of splendeur to describe the magnificent appearance of a mountain range.Tatoeba #800492 by sacredceltic, translation #741536 by darinmex
- dans toute sa splendeurIn all one's splendorThis phrase demonstrates how to say "in all one's splendor" using splendeur.
- La nature se rit des souffrances humaines, Ne contemplant jamais que sa propre grandeur, Elle dispense à tous ses forces souveraines Et garde pour sa part le calme et la splendeur.Nature laughs at human suffering, Only ever contemplating its own grandeur, it dispenses with all its sovereign forces, and keeps calm and splendor for its own.This poetic text uses splendeur to describe the calm and splendor kept by nature.Tatoeba #840034 by Scott, translation #5073883 by jhomel
- La splendeur de ce paysage est tout simplement éblouissante!The splendor of this landscape is simply dazzling!
Example conversation
Manon and Lucas are visiting a historic cathedral.
- ManonLa splendeur de cet édifice est incroyable.The splendor of this building is incredible.
- LucasC'est vrai, les détails sont magnifiques.It's true, the details are magnificent.
- ManonIl a été construit avec beaucoup de soin.It was built with a lot of care.
- LucasOn sent toute la splendeur du passé ici.You can feel all the splendor of the past here.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “splendor” translations and entries splendeur, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries splendeur, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
