fabulous
Americanadjective
-
Informal. exceptionally good or unusual; wonderful; superb.
a fabulous bargain;
a fabulous new house.
-
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!
-
told about in fables; purely imaginary or known about only through myths or legends.
the fabulous exploits of Hercules.
- Synonyms:
- fictional, fictitious, fabled
adjective
-
almost unbelievable; astounding; legendary
fabulous wealth
-
informal extremely good
a fabulous time at the party
-
of, relating to, or based upon fable
a fabulous beast
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of fabulous
First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin fābulōsus, equivalent to fābul(a) “a story, tale” + -ōsus adjective suffix; see 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.
Vocabulary lists containing fabulous
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
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Lyrics from "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)" by Baz Luhrmann
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Wow! Synonyms for "Amazing"
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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.
"It's fabulous for the person to be in your own imagination," Mirren said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
“I’m grateful for the experiences, friendships and support from fabulous colleagues during my CNN years. Exciting news to share very soon!”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
However, the continent boasts many fabulous fossil finds, including those of the most familiar extinct animals – dinosaurs.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026
They will have to be even more fabulous for the market to keep going up.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
“Yes, that might be something to search for. A tortoiseshell hair comb. Next to a gray bureau in the far back corner. That’s where I got this fabulous dress,” she said, twirling.
From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
