The Adverb of Glory: Gloriously
The adverb of glory is gloriously.
How gloriously is formed
Glory is a noun, so the adverb comes in two steps: glory → glorious → gloriously. Note that the y becomes i when the adjective is formed, not when the adverb is.
The same two-step route as beauty → beautiful → beautifully and peace → peaceful → peacefully. Nouns never take an adverb ending directly.
Gloriously in a sentence
| The morning was gloriously sunny. | Intensifying something pleasant. |
| He was gloriously unaware of the fuss. | Slightly ironic – a common tone for this word. |
| The costumes were gloriously over the top. | Excess, presented as a virtue. |
Where it is actually used
Knowing the form is one thing; knowing the company a word keeps is what makes it sound natural. These are the patterns gloriously appears in most often.
| gloriously sunny / warm / green | Weather and landscape. |
| gloriously unaware / oblivious | Almost always affectionate rather than critical. |
| gloriously silly / absurd / excessive | Praising something for going too far. |
Gloriously or something else?
Several adverbs sit close to gloriously, and the difference is usually meaning rather than formality.
| splendidly | Close, but more old-fashioned and less ironic. |
| magnificently | Grander and entirely sincere. It does not carry the wink that gloriously often does. |
| wonderfully | Warmer and plainer, with no suggestion of excess. |
The mistake to watch for
| Incorrect | Correct |
| glorily | gloriously |
There is no adverb built straight from glory. The adjective glorious is the only route to one.
Related forms
Pronunciation: GLOR-ee-us-lee, four syllables.
| Noun | glory |
| Adjective | glorious |
| Adverb | gloriously |
| Verb | glory (in something) |
Practice
Fill the gap, then check yourself.
- It was a ___ warm afternoon.
- The cathedral was ___ restored.
- He was ___ oblivious to the chaos around him.
Answers: 1. gloriously 2. magnificently 3. gloriously
Frequently asked
Why does gloriously often sound ironic?
Because it is so strong. Attaching a word that grand to something trivial – gloriously silly – is itself the joke, and English speakers use the mismatch deliberately.
