What does glorying mean?
Glorying is the present participle of the verb glory and is most often used in the phrase “glorying in,” meaning taking pride or intense satisfaction in an achievement, possession, or advantage. It can also mean rejoicing or celebrating enthusiastically. The word often appears in formal, literary, or ceremonial contexts, such as “glorying in victory,” but it can carry a critical undertone when the pride becomes smug or triumphalist. “Glorying in another person’s defeat,” for example, may imply unbecoming gloating rather than straightforward celebration. Glossing the form as “taking pride in” or “rejoicing” is generally the most useful approach, with the surrounding context determining whether the tone is admiring or disapproving.
verbThe present participle of glory, meaning to rejoice or to take great pride and satisfaction in something.
- To take great pride or satisfaction in an achievement, success, or possession.
- To rejoice or celebrate enthusiastically.
"The team spent the evening glorying in their hard-won victory."
"The champion was glorying in the achievement after years of disciplined training."
"The speech celebrated the victory without directly glorying in the defeated side’s humiliation."
“Glorying in” is celebration with a swagger: it can honor a triumph or quietly gloat over someone else’s defeat.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does glorying come from?
The word comes from the English verb glory, which derives through Old French from Latin gloria, meaning brilliance, renown, or honor. English has used “glory” for both the noun and the verb since the Middle English period. The present-participle form “glorying” preserves the same root found in words such as glorious, glorify, and glorification.
Related word forms
How glorying is actually used
Glorying is most common in the construction “glorying in.” It has a formal or literary tone and can be approving, as in celebrating a success, or mildly critical, as when it suggests excessive pride or self-congratulation.
Easily confused with glorying
Glorifying means praising or making something seem glorious, whereas glorying more often means rejoicing in or taking pride in something.