We speak of an exalted station, a grand mountain, an imposing presence, a majestic cathedral, a noble mien, a solemn litany, a stately march, an august assembly, the awful scene of the Judgment Day.

J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)

Example sentences

royal They bestowed several gifts on the royal visitors.
imposing He really does have such thick, imposing eyebrows.
majestic "This is my cat, Cookie." "What a majestic floof!"
dignified The lady's behaviour was always dignified.
formal The premier paid a formal visit to the White House.

Popularity over time

Word	1850 → 2019	Trend
stately		rising
royal		rising
imposing		steady
majestic		rising
dignified		steady
formal		steady

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

5 letters: grand¹, royal², noble², stiff¹, lofty²
6 letters: august², formal², steady², superb², solemn², sullen², lordly²
7 letters: elegant³, sublime², pompous², courtly²
8 letters: handsome², imperial⁴, imposing³, majestic³, princely², palatial³, baronial
9 letters: dignified³, sumptuous²
10 letters: impressive³, ceremonial⁵, statuesque³
11 letters: magnificent⁴, magisterial⁵, ceremonious

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (royal² = 2 syllables).