splendido
/ˈsplɛn.di.do/
The Italian word for stunning is splendido.
The adjective is used to describe someone or something that is exceptionally beautiful or attractive. It can also be used to describe things that are magnificent or splendid in terms of quality or weather.
Meaning: exceptionally beautiful or attractive (adj)
Which one should you use?
While splendido means stunning in the context of beauty, it also carries the sense of being splendid or magnificent when referring to the quality of something or the weather.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree in gender and number with the noun it describes. For feminine singular nouns, use splendida. For feminine plural nouns, use splendide.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the first syllable. The IPA is /ˈsplɛn.di.do/.
When do people say it?
To express astonishment and admiration, such as saying "Wow!" in English, you can use the informal exclamation Mamma mia!
Did you know?
- If you want to describe a person as 'stunning' in a way that suggests they are breathtakingly beautiful, Italians might use mozzafiato, which literally translates to 'breath-snatching'.
- The word splendido can be used sarcastically to mean 'just great' when something goes wrong, similar to how an English speaker might say 'Wonderful!' when they drop their phone.
- While splendido describes beauty, Italians often use the word stravagante for something 'stunning' if it is visually shocking or eccentric, though in English 'extravagant' usually refers to money.
Examples in context
- La vista dalla cima della montagna è stupendaThe view from the top of the mountain is stunning
- Il palazzo storico è magnificoThe historic palace is stunning
- La tua interpretazione è stata splendidaYour performance was stunning
- La tua villa al mare è meravigliosaYour beach villa is stunning
- La tua nuova macchina è incredibileYour new car is stunning
- Hai fatto un lavoro favoloso!You did a stunning job!
- Lo spettacolo di fuochi d'artificio è stato spettacolareThe fireworks show was stunning
- Mamma mia! Che panorama spettacolare!Wow! What a stunning view!
- Sei bellissimo/aYou are stunning
- Hai uno sguardo affascinanteYou have a captivating gaze
- Questa città è stupendaThis city is stunning
- La spiaggia è meravigliosaThe beach is marvelous
- Questa scultura è magnificaThis sculpture is magnificent
- Un panorama splendido.A stunning view.
- Il tramonto è davvero splendido oggi.The sunset is truly stunning today.
- Hai un sorriso splendido.You have a stunning smile.
Example conversation
Francesco and Chiara are visiting an art gallery.
- FrancescoGuarda questo quadro, è splendido!Look at this painting, it's stunning!
- ChiaraHai ragione, i colori sono incredibili.You're right, the colors are incredible.
- FrancescoChi ha dipinto questo capolavoro?Who painted this masterpiece?
- ChiaraNon lo so, leggiamo il cartellino.I don't know, let's read the label.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry splendido, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
