phenomenal
Americanadjective
-
highly extraordinary or prodigious; exceptional.
phenomenal speed.
- Synonyms:
- unprecedented, surpassing, outstanding, uncommon
-
of or relating to phenomena.
-
of the nature of a phenomenon; cognizable by the senses.
adjective
-
of or relating to a phenomenon
-
extraordinary; outstanding; remarkable
a phenomenal achievement
-
philosophy known or perceived by the senses rather than the mind
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of phenomenal
First recorded in 1815–25; phenomen(on) + -al 1
Explanation
If you think something is amazing, astounding, or marvelous, you can also call it phenomenal. Your dog's phenomenal performance at the agilty competition earned her a blue ribbon — and a handful of biscuits. Phenomenal things aren't just cool — they're truly remarkable and possibly even unique. Your sister's campaign to raise money for cancer research, which amassed a million dollars in two weeks? That's phenomenal. And Serena Williams, having won an unprecedented 23 Grand Slam titles, is without question a phenomenal tennis player. This extraordinary word comes from the relatively ordinary Greek phainomenon, "appearance," and its Proto-Indo-European root bha-, "to shine."
Vocabulary lists containing phenomenal
The Crossover
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Michelle Obama's final address as First Lady (2017)
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Boy: Tales of Childhood
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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.
Phenomenal victory in India, not easy to achieve.
From BBC • Jan. 28, 2024
Phenomenal story … for the first half of the season.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 28, 2023
It had been a dry summer, but the lavender Phenomenal was still thriving despite the heat, and so was the garden phlox, a favorite of the hummingbird clearwing moth.
From Washington Post • Aug. 31, 2022
Phenomenal consciousness, which the study described as essentially an awareness of the state of existence, could be the root of the phenomenon.
From Salon • Apr. 20, 2022
“Well, my uncle gave me Mr. Lemoncello’s Phenomenal Picture Word Puzzler for Chanukah and I can’t figure out this one rebus.”
From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
