Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

fabulous

American  
[fab-yuh-luhs] / ˈfæb yə ləs /

adjective

  1. Informal. exceptionally good or unusual; wonderful; superb.

    a fabulous bargain;

    a fabulous new house.

  2. almost impossible to believe; incredible.

    Her fabulous story about surviving alone on a desert island for three months was riveting—and it was all true!

  3. told about in fables; purely imaginary or known about only through myths or legends.

    the fabulous exploits of Hercules.

    Synonyms:
    fictional, fictitious, fabled

fabulous British  
/ ˈfæbjʊləs /

adjective

  1. almost unbelievable; astounding; legendary

    fabulous wealth

  2. informal extremely good

    a fabulous time at the party

  3. of, relating to, or based upon fable

    a fabulous beast

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • fabulously adverb
  • fabulousness noun
  • unfabulous adjective
  • unfabulously adverb

Etymology

Origin of fabulous

First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin fābulōsus, equivalent to fābul(a) “a story, tale” + -ōsus adjective suffix; fable, -ous

Explanation

If something is so great you can hardly believe it, it is fabulous. You can have a fabulous first date or you can make a fabulous dinner. These days, fabulous things are mainly wonderful things, but there's another meaning related to fable: some fabulous things can't — or at least shouldn't — be believed. If you friend claims to be a personal friend of the entire Chicago Bulls, but has never been to Chicago, that's a fabulous story that's probably not true. Also, any story involving a unicorn or wizard is fabulous in a literal sense. A great fantasy story would be fabulous in every way.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing fabulous

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

His exceptional short game held his round together and when things did click into place on the tees and fairways, he motored through the final seven holes in fabulous fashion.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

If any of those work for you, truly — fabulous.

From Salon • Mar. 19, 2026

The turbulent atmosphere means there could well be some fabulous clouds, along with odd rainbow.

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026

Jason Crowe Jr. ends his fabulous high school career with 34 points in Inglewood 84-65 loss to Damien.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2026

In the far distance the Millennium Wheel perched like a fabulous silver coin, balancing effortlessly on its rim.

From "Stormbreaker" by Anthony Horowitz