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Worthy of a hero; bold; daring; brave; illustrious; as, heroic action; heroic enterprises.

Of noble birth; illustrious; as, of high family.

Worthy of honor; fit to be esteemed or regarded; estimable; illustrious. Thy name and honorable family. Shak.

kindred; a race of persons from the same stock; a tribe; especially, a noble family or an illustrious race; as, the house of Austria; the house of Hanover; the house of Israel. The last remaining pillar of their house, The one transmitter of their ancient name. Tennyson.

Of low birth or family; not noble; not illustrious; plebeian; common; humble. I was not ignoble of descent. Shak. Her royal stock graft with ignoble plants. Shak.

To give renown or honor to; to make illustrious; to glorify. [Obs.] Matter to me of glory, whom their hate Illustrates. Milton.

Making illustrious. [Obs.]

rom; a striking exemplification in person or act. She is a new incarnation of some of the illustrious dead. Jeffrey. The very incarnation of selfishness. F. W. Robertson.

eration shown in the form of expression; as, " a citizen of no mean city," that is, of an illustrious city.

Grand; splendid; illustrious; magnificent. [Obs.] 1 Chron. xxii. 5. "Thy magnific deeds." Milton. -- Mag*nif"ic*al*ly, adv. [Obs.]

, struck with a device, and intended to preserve the remembrance of a notable event or an illustrious person, or to serve as a reward.

Reputed character; reputation, good or bad; estimation; fame; especially, illustrious character or fame; honorable estimation; distinction. What men of name resort to him Shak. Far above ... every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. Eph. i. 21. I will get me a name and honor i…

n the dark; to hide; to make less visible, intelligible, legible, glorious, beautiful, or illustrious. They are all couched in a pit hard by Herne's oak, with obscured lights. Shak. Why, 't is an office of discovery, love, And I should be obscured. Shak. There is scarce any duty which has been so obscured by the writin…

A notable or distinguished person; a conspicious or peculiar character; as, an illustrious personage; a comely personage of stature tall. Spenser.

Splendid; illustrious; brilliant; distinguished; conspicious; as, a shining example of charity.

Very conspicuous; illustrious. "Great and splendent fortunes." Sir H. Wotton.

Illustrious; heroic; brilliant; celebrated; famous; as, a splendid victory or reputation.

Shining; bright; illustrious. Dryden. The having turned many to righteousness shall confer a starlike and immortal brightness. Boyle.

Not known to fame; not illustrious or celebrated; obscure. Nor was his name unheard or unadored. Milton. Unheard of. (a) Not heard of; of which there are no tidings. (b) Unknown to fame; obscure. Glanvill.

nation's heroes; specifically, the Pantheon near Ratisbon, in Bavaria, consecrated to the illustrious dead of all Germany.