Basic Details
Word: Illustrious
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Famous and greatly respected because of great achievements.
Synonyms: distinguished, eminent, renowned, celebrated
Antonyms: unknown, obscure
How to Spell Illustrious
Syllables: il - lus - tri - ous
Tricky part: The ending is rious, with i before ous. Students often drop the i and write illustrous.
Watch out for: illustrous, ilustrious, illustreous
Memory tip: Think of glorious and victorious: an illustrious person has a glorious record, and all three end in ious.
Usage Examples
Example 1: The illustrious singer Lata Mangeshkar recorded songs in more than thirty languages.
Example 2: Our school has an illustrious history of producing hockey players.
Example 3: The award was given to an illustrious scientist from Bengaluru.
Fun Fact
In the late Roman Empire, illustris was an official title for the highest-ranking officials, a rank above spectabilis and clarissimus.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word illustrious as used in the sentence:
The college invited an illustrious astronomer who had discovered several new comets.
a) ordinary
b) unknown
c) humble
d) distinguished
Show answer
d) distinguished. A famous, respected astronomer is distinguished; unknown is the opposite.
Spell-o-Spell
Three of these words are spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word:
1. anxious 2. curious 3. illustrous 4. ambitious
a) strongly wanting to succeed
b) eager to know or learn
c) famous and respected for great achievements
d) worried and nervous
Show answer
c) famous and respected for great achievements. Illustrous is missing the i before ous.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
illusstrious
a) l
b) t
c) u
d) s
Show answer
d) s. Only one s comes after illu; the double letter in this word is the ll.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of these people could best be called illustrious?
a) a passer-by
b) a sleeping baby
c) a new student
d) a Nobel Prize winner
Show answer
d) a Nobel Prize winner
2. Which phrase suits the word illustrious?
a) a muddy football field
b) a broken school bench
c) a long and celebrated career
d) a rainy Monday morning
Show answer
c) a long and celebrated career
