fabulous

adjective

fab·u·lous | \ ˈfa-byə-ləs

Definition of fabulous

1a : resembling or suggesting a fable : of an incredible, astonishing, or exaggerated nature fabulous wealth

b : wonderful, marvelous had a fabulous time a fabulous view from the summit

2 : told in or based on fable fabulous dragons

Other Words from fabulous Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym The Meaning of Fabulous Before It Meant ‘Great’ More Example Sentences Learn More about fabulous

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Choose the Right Synonym for fabulous

fictitious, fabulous, legendary, mythical, apocryphal mean having the nature of something imagined or invented. fictitious implies fabrication and suggests artificiality or contrivance more than deliberate falsification or deception. fictitious characters fabulous stresses the marvelous or incredible character of something without necessarily implying impossibility or actual nonexistence. a land of fabulous riches legendary suggests the elaboration of invented details and distortion of historical facts produced by popular tradition. the legendary exploits of Davy Crockett mythical implies a purely fanciful explanation of facts or the creation of beings and events out of the imagination. mythical creatures apocryphal implies an unknown or dubious source or origin or may imply that the thing itself is dubious or inaccurate. a book that repeats many apocryphal stories

The Meaning of Fabulous Before It Meant ‘Great’

Most of us use the word fabulous in an entirely positive sense, with the meaning “wonderful” or “marvelous.” This is an entirely acceptable way to use the word, but it is by no means the sense that fabulous had when it entered the English language: its original meaning was “characteristic of fables” (a fable is “an invented tale”). In that sense, "the fabulous legends of Arabia" refers to legends based upon fable rather than notably excellent legends. The semantic drift that fabulous has undergone is not at all uncommon in language, and we see comparable developments in words of similar in meaning. Fantastic previously meant “of, belonging to, or constituting fantasy”; awesome initially had the sole meaning “expressive of awe” (and many people wish that it still did); and terrific meant “terrible, terrifying” long before it meant “splendid.”

Examples of fabulous in a Sentence

I had a fabulous time. The weather has been fabulous. He is making fabulous amounts of money.

Recent Examples on the Web

Hilton, of course, took it a majority of those 18 yards with his fabulous play after the catch, but Brissett put his pass right on Hilton, giving him the opportunity to make something special happen. — Jim Ayello, Indianapolis Star, "Insider: Missed tackles, missed kicks cost Colts in 30-24 loss to Chargers," 8 Sep. 2019 These ghostly brownies make for a fabulous addition to any Halloween dessert table. — Tara Bench, Country Living, "Marshmallow Ghost Brownies," 6 Sep. 2019 And both have a variety of lakeside abodes, ranging from rustic to multimillion-dollar fabulous. — Diane Bairand Pamela Wright, BostonGlobe.com, "Welcome to the Lake Winnipesaukee of the South," 4 Sep. 2019 Dunst gives a fabulous performance, and the show is hilarious and devastating in equal measure. — Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, "The 5 best TV shows to binge-watch over Labor Day weekend, from 'Downton Abbey' to 'Good Place'," 31 Aug. 2019 Jennifer Lopez, Cardi B, Keke Palmer, Lili Reinhart, and Constance Wu all showed up with fabulous-looking hair, each wearing a highly-specific and highly-dope style. — Leah Prinzivalli, Allure, "The Hustlers Cast Has the Best Hair in Hollywood," 26 Aug. 2019 By all accounts, Kylie Minogue was fabulous at Glastonbury this year. — Samantha Warren, Quartz, "Why gender equality quotas do more harm than good," 7 Aug. 2019 While everyone expected a fabulous performance from the world’s greatest actress, Streep’s Mary Louise is a rare TV masterpiece. — Lorraine Ali, latimes.com, "'Big Little Lies': How Meryl Streep redeems a mediocre season," 14 July 2019 This glamorous party features drinks, music, light bites, silent auction, dazzling decor by Joe Rigotti, and a fabulous Drag performance. — Luann Gibbs, Cincinnati.com, "Things to do in Cincinnati this week: June 24-30," 24 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fabulous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for fabulous

fabulous

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of fabulous

: very good

: very large in amount or size

literary : not real : told about in a story

See the full definition for fabulous in the English Language Learners Dictionary

fabulous

adjective

fab·u·lous | \ ˈfa-byə-ləs

Kids Definition of fabulous

1 : extremely good a fabulous trip

2 : very great in amount or size fabulous wealth

3 : told in or based on fable fabulous creatures

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fabulous

Definition of fabulous

Other Words from fabulous

Synonyms for fabulous

Choose the Right Synonym for fabulous

The Meaning of Fabulous Before It Meant ‘Great’

Examples of fabulous in a Sentence

First Known Use of fabulous

History and Etymology for fabulous

English Language Learners Definition of fabulous

Kids Definition of fabulous

fabulous

Definition of fabulous

Other Words from fabulous

Synonyms for fabulous

Choose the Right Synonym for fabulous

The Meaning of Fabulous Before It Meant ‘Great’

Examples of fabulous in a Sentence

First Known Use of fabulous

History and Etymology for fabulous

English Language Learners Definition of fabulous

Kids Definition of fabulous

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