illustrious
31
7.4
- adjective
- /ɪˈlʌstrɪəs/
- Formal
- One of the most illustrious careers in modern day football.
- an illustrious career
- an illustrious history
- an illustrious tradition
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Watch on YouTubePlease welcome the illustrious Aubrey Plaza.
- Please welcome the illustrious Aubrey Plaza.
- If I'm in illustrious company, still feel odd.
- All right, let's take another call from the great and illustrious Ryan Gardner.
- But my point being like, it's that's like a fairly illustrious list.
- More on that later, but I want to tell you about our illustrious guest.
- Monuments to the fallen, a grave site for the illustrious Negro dead like Zora Neale, Hurston said.
- And our speaker today is a legal professional, a legal mind with an illustrious career in defence of human rights.
- And if if you don't know, Jocko Willink, retired Navy SEAL commander, has an illustrious career record and a fascinating character all around.
Examples
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And our speaker today is a legal professional, a legal mind with an illustrious career in defence of human rights.
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And friends, we also want to thank our illustrious crew producer Stevie over here.
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One of our first and most illustrious members.
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But other illustrious names were soon to follow.
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I'm sitting on the table with this illustrious company.
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Brian has had an illustrious career reporting on cricket and has published numerous books on the subject.
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Please welcome the illustrious Aubrey Plaza.
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My employees all knew of Frank's illustrious career at the FBI.
Fiction book (1997) -
The illustrious career of Robbie Lawler finally ends.
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The lawyer is known for her illustrious accomplishments in environmental law.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
Many people know them for something good or important
634
3.4
Causing people to admire it, like a building or performance, because it is very good
325
3.3
Respected and admired because of important achievements or a long history
311
3.9
Easy to see or remember because it stands out
263
4.2
Very famous and admired, like a hero from old stories
241
3.4
Much better than most others in skill or quality
142
4.8
Very successful and respected for important achievements or good character
118
5.6
People respect it for high quality or important achievements
114
3.7
Worth attention because it is important or unusual
112
4.1
Well known and respected for being very good
72
3.5
Well known and respected by many people
65
3.3
Well known and admired for a particular skill or quality
63
3.2
Famous and admired for important achievements or qualities
55
4.6
A person or thing that many people respect and admire
32
5.6
A person who is well known and respected in their field
28
5.6
Deeply respected and admired for age, wisdom, or good character
28
7.5
Worthy of deep respect because of old age or good character
24
6.7
A person, team, or place known for a famous history
20
1.8
Respected and looked up to by many people
7
7.0
Respected and impressive in a calm, serious way
6
2.8
Many people admire a person or organization for good work and honest behaviour
1
6.5
Known and admired by many people far away
Antonyms
How Respected
- Formal
31
7.4
- Formal
32
5.6
- Formal
142
4.8
248
2.3
- Formal
65
3.3
∞
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
illustrious = illustrate (opaque) = illustr + ous
Although the form links to the stem 'illustr-' (as in 'illustrate'), the modern sense 'famous, celebrated' is not derivable from 'illustrate' + -ous; the semantic development is historical and not productive for learners.
Etymology
The word illustrious comes from a Latin root that meant 'to light up' or 'shine'. It is the same root you see in illustrate, which means 'to light up a story', and in luster, which means 'shine', so an illustrious person 'shines' because they are famous and respected.