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In the late Middle Ages many women wore a type of headdress—called a wimple in English—that surrounded the neck and head, leaving only the face uncovered. The word gorgias, from gorge, meaning “throat,” was the French name for the part of the headdress that covered the throat and shoulders. In time it also came to be used as a name for the entire garment. A beautiful headdress was so much the mark of a fashionable lady that Gorgias then became an adjective meaning “elegant” or “fond of dress.” Borrowed into English as gorgayse and then gorgeous, the word gradually took on the meaning of “beautiful” that it has today.
Synonyms
Examples of gorgeous in a Sentence
Corby Kummer, Atlantic, May 2001
In the Arlberg … my wife and I were taken to the most perfect dinner by an elderly Viennese couple and their gorgeous young daughter, whom we had met in Washington.
—Geoffrey Wolff, Granta, Autumn 1990
Banks of gorgeous flowers were on every hand, and birds with rare and brilliant plumage sang and fluttered in the trees and bushes.
—L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, 1900
Your baby is absolutely gorgeous!
sunsets in Hawaii are just gorgeous
Katie Bain, Billboard, 22 Nov. 2024
For those looking to glamorize their coat closets, all eyes are on one gorgeous, leather trench from Rosetta Getty and a cute, faux-fur from Proenza Schouler.
—Kristina Rutkowski, Vogue, 22 Nov. 2024
The gorgeous French ombré extends well past her fingertips and finishes with sharp slants.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 22 Nov. 2024
These two gorgeous midi dresses pair well with fur jackets and knee-high leather boots.
—Jenifer Calle, Glamour, 22 Nov. 2024
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Dictionary Entries Near gorgeous
Cite this Entry
“Gorgeous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gorgeous. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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gorgeous
adjective
Middle English gorgeouse "very showy, splendid," from early French gorgias "elegant," from gorgias "headdress, wimple," from gorge "part of the wimple covering the throat, throat"
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