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Synonyms

fabled

American  
[fey-buhld] / ˈfeɪ bəld /

adjective

  1. celebrated in fables.

    a fabled goddess of the wood.

  2. having no real existence; fictitious.

    a fabled chest of gold.


fabled British  
/ ˈfeɪbəld /

adjective

  1. made famous in fable

  2. fictitious

"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

  • unfabled adjective

Etymology

Origin of fabled

First recorded in 1730–40; fable + -ed 3

Explanation

Something that's fabled is very well-known through stories or word-of-mouth, especially for its excellence or rarity. It's worth planning an all-day visit to a museum with a fabled art collection. Some fabled things are legendary by virtue of having actual legends, fables, or myths mention them. You might read about the fabled Greek gods, for example. Other things or people are fabled because you've heard them mentioned in conversation — their reputation proceeds them, like your dad's fabled chocolate chip cookies. Coined around 1600, fabled first meant "invented" or "unreal," from the Latin root fabula, "story."

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing fabled

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.

In addition to performing on the fabled Rooftop Concert, he enjoyed the rare privilege of receiving shared billing with the Fab Four on the chart-topping “Get Back” single.

From Salon • Feb. 20, 2026

His broadcast had barely begun before he made his first mistake, welcoming viewers to the Stadio Olimpico, instead of Milan's fabled San Siro which had been chosen for the curtain-raising ceremony.

From BBC • Feb. 19, 2026

Oumar Cisse used to lead tours of Djenne, an ancient, fabled city in central Mali known for its towering mud-brick mosque, but he now ekes out a living driving an old motorcycle taxi in Bamako.

From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026

The battle to acquire the fabled Hollywood studio has cast another cloud over an industry still recovering from the dual shocks of the pandemic and the writers and actors union strikes three years later.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 28, 2025

His previous work included helping excavate a land site at Gordion, Turkey, which, in the eighth century BCE, had been the capital of King Midas’s fabled golden empire.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler