What is the Latin word for glorify?

The usual Latin words for “glorify” are illūstrō, exōrnō, decorō; also celebrō, canō, cantō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“glorify” in Latin

illūstrōto illuminate, brighten, light up; to elucidate, explain, make clear; to make famous, render illustrious exōrnōto equip, furnish, supply, provide; to adorn, embellish decorōto decorate, adorn, embellish, grace, beautify; to honour celebrōto go to a place or person in large numbers or often; throng, frequent, fill; to practise, employ, exercise, repeat; to canōto sing, recite, play; to sound, play, blow (a trumpet), especially a military call; to foretell, predict, prophesy cantōsynonym of canō (“to sing, recite, play, foretell”); to enchant, or call forth by charms, chant Lucceiusa Roman nomen gentile, gens or "family name" famously held by

The English word glorify itself goes back to Latin glōria, through glōrificō.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

glorify

illustrare (to place in a bright light; to make illustrious; also, laudibus aliquem illustrare; Luccei. ap. Cic., Fam., 5, 14, 1): alicujus gloriam ornare, exornare (to set forth his glory): decorare laude, or decorare only (to grace with praise): celebrare (to make famous). (The words are found in this connection and order.) illustrare et celebrare (e.g., alicujus nomen scriptis): canere: cantare (to celebrate in verse or song; not = celebrare generally till post-Augustan age). [Vid: To PRAISE.]

In a theological sense, to exalt to celestial happiness, immortalitatem dare (to confer immortality; Plaut.): immortalem gloriam dare (Cic.): immortali gloria aliquem afficere (Plaut., Amph., 5, 2, 10: Grysar had doubted the existence of the phrase): gloriam tribuere (Phaedrus, 1, 7, 3). ☞ Though none of these are used in the full Christian sense, they all may, since it is not the phrase that requires alteration, but the notion of gloria that requires extension: ☞ glorificare, Tert. To be glorified, piorum sedem esse ac locum consecutum (or -os, Cic.): in aeterna gloria esse (Cic.; in him IMPROP.).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for glorify?: The usual Latin words for “glorify” are illūstrō, exōrnō, decorō; also celebrō, canō, cantō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.