legendary
Americanadjective
-
of, relating to, or of the nature of a legend.
- Synonyms:
- superhuman, strange, supernatural, heroic
-
celebrated or described in legend.
a legendary hero.
noun
adjective
-
of or relating to legend
-
celebrated or described in a legend or legends
-
very famous or notorious
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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prelegendaryadjective
-
pseudolegendaryadjective
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quasi-legendaryadjective
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semilegendaryadjective
-
legendarilyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of legendary
From the Medieval Latin word legendārius, dating back to 1505–15. See legend, -ary
Explanation
It's one thing to be famous. It's another thing altogether to be legendary, or like a legend. The Monkees were a famous band. The Beatles are legendary — for most people, they are almost mythical in their greatness. There are a couple of ways to become legendary, but, however you get there, you have to become a legend. The first way is to be better at something than anyone else ever was. Michael Jordan, for example, is a legendary basketball player. The other way is to be known — and yet remain mysterious — for a very long time. The legendary Loch Ness Monster, for example, is very well known for a creature that (almost?) no one has ever actually seen.
Vocabulary lists containing legendary
The Crossover
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We Were Liars
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"The Hunger Games" Vocabulary from Chapter 10
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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.
See Examples For:
And those legendary quarterbacks were still chasing their sport’s greatest prizes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
On Friday, fans will see the hotly anticipated preview for "Spaceballs: The New One," a long-awaited sequel to Mel Brooks's legendary space comedy.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
Married to the legendary Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee until his death in 2014, Quinn has functioned, at least since the 1980s, as the self-appointed spokeswoman of the nation’s permanent political establishment.
From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026
The ‘thermals’ in the Owens Valley are to free flight what legendary waves like Mavericks and Jaws are to surfing: big, terrifying and, to a certain type of person, hopelessly addictive.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
At some point early in the summer, he pumped out a thirty-page memo about corporate governance that was evidently so thorough and cogent it became instantly legendary.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
It is possible to take on easy ones on your own, but for legendaries, it’s best to find some friends.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 20, 2018
The game has gotten slow for me now that I have completed my Pokédex, except of course for the legendaries and region-exclusive Pokémon.
From The Guardian ● Oct. 6, 2016
But who knows, maybe if Niantic releases the legendaries and 2nd generation Pokémon I might risk it.
From The Guardian ● Oct. 6, 2016
All exotics could be leveled using one or two easily-purchasable shards, and even all old legendaries could now reach new damage max levels using the more rare Etheric Light.
From Forbes ● Jul. 21, 2015
The corresponding works in the Western Church are the passionaries or legendaries, varieties of which are dispersed in libraries and have not been studied collectively.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 7 "Gyantse" to "Hallel" by Various
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.
