phantasmagoric

[ fan-taz-muh-gawr-ik, -gor- ]
See synonyms for phantasmagoric on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. having a fantastic or deceptive appearance, as something in a dream or created by the imagination.

  2. having the appearance of an optical illusion, especially one produced by a magic lantern.

  1. changing or shifting, as a scene made up of many elements.

Origin of phantasmagoric

1
First recorded in 1800–10; phantasmagor(ia) + -ic
  • Also phan·tas·ma·gor·i·cal [fan-taz-muh-gawr-i-kuhl, -gor-] /fænˌtæz məˈgɔr ɪ kəl, -ˈgɒr-/ .
  • Sometimes phan·tas·ma·go·ri·al [fan-taz-muh-gawr-ee-uhl, -gor-] /fænˌtæz məˈgɔr i əl, -ˈgɒr-/ .

Other words from phantasmagoric

  • phan·tas·ma·gor·i·cal·ly, adverb
  • phan·tas·ma·go·ri·al·ly, phan·tas·ma·go·ri·an·ly, adverb

Words Nearby phantasmagoric

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use phantasmagoric in a sentence

  • All was wonderful, admirable, phantasmagoric beyond his wildest and dearest expectations.

  • The night resolved itself into a weird phantasmagoric nightmare for me, a gigantic game of hide-and-seek, in which I was "it."

  • Her little world was phantasmagoric—strange shadows dancing on a sheet.

    What Maisie Knew | Henry James