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fabulous
[ fab-yuh-luhs ]
/ ËfĂŠb yÉ lÉs /
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adjective
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 rivetingâand it was all true!
told about in fables; purely imaginary or known about only through myths or legends: the fabulous exploits of Hercules.
OTHER WORDS FOR fabulous
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Origin of fabulous
historical usage of fabulous
The core meanings of fabulous are perfect reflections of their Latin roots, which point directly to the word fable. Fables are creative tales or legends, often with magical creatures or great adventures. So when we talk about someone making up a fabulous excuse (which is âalmost impossible to believeâ) or we read about a fabulous winged horse (which is âpurely imaginaryâ), we are staying pretty close to the Latin origin.
But in everyday usage, the most familiar sense of fabulous may be the informal oneââexceptionally good, wonderfulââwhich strays from the direct line to fable. Such remarks as âWhat a fabulous meal!â or âHowâs that fabulous brother of yours?â are so common that it would not occur to us to stop and think, âHey, did he just accuse me of preparing imaginary food?â or âHmm, does she think my brother is a superhero, or that heâs just not very believable?â
Some might say that the only drawback to such familiarity with fabulousâs informal meaning is that we sometimes have to stop and think when itâs being used as originally intended. If I told you I just read a fabulous tale, could you be sure what I meant by that?
But in everyday usage, the most familiar sense of fabulous may be the informal oneââexceptionally good, wonderfulââwhich strays from the direct line to fable. Such remarks as âWhat a fabulous meal!â or âHowâs that fabulous brother of yours?â are so common that it would not occur to us to stop and think, âHey, did he just accuse me of preparing imaginary food?â or âHmm, does she think my brother is a superhero, or that heâs just not very believable?â
Some might say that the only drawback to such familiarity with fabulousâs informal meaning is that we sometimes have to stop and think when itâs being used as originally intended. If I told you I just read a fabulous tale, could you be sure what I meant by that?
OTHER WORDS FROM fabulous
fab·u·lous·ly, adverbfab·u·lous·ness, nounun·fab·u·lous, adjectiveun·fab·u·lous·ly, adverbWords nearby fabulous
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use fabulous in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for fabulous
fabulous
/ (ËfĂŠbjÊlÉs) /
adjective
almost unbelievable; astounding; legendaryfabulous wealth
informal extremely gooda fabulous time at the party
of, relating to, or based upon fablea fabulous beast
Derived forms of fabulous
fabulously, adverbfabulousness, nounWord Origin for fabulous
C15: from Latin fÄbulĆsus celebrated in fable, from fÄbula fable
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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