fabulous
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.
Origin of fabulous
1word story For fabulous
But in everyday usage, the most familiar sense of fabulous may be the informal one—“exceptionally good, wonderful”—which strays from the direct line to fable. Such remarks as “What a fabulous meal!” or “How’s that fabulous brother of yours?” are so common that it would not occur to us to stop and think, “Hey, did he just accuse me of preparing imaginary food?” or “Hmm, does she think my brother is a superhero, or that he’s just not very believable?”
Some might say that the only drawback to such familiarity with fabulous’s informal meaning is that we sometimes have to stop and think when it’s 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 for fabulous
Other words from fabulous
- fab·u·lous·ly, adverb
- fab·u·lous·ness, noun
- un·fab·u·lous, adjective
- un·fab·u·lous·ly, adverb
Words Nearby fabulous
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use fabulous in a sentence
There was a Basque place along the way that made jellied beef sausage, and a diner in Idaho Falls with “fabulous” fried chicken and, as James scribbled in his daybook, “biscuits light as a feather.”
To Find Hope in American Cooking, James Beard Looked to the West Coast | John Birdsall | October 2, 2020 | EaterAs I’ve begun to explore old haunts, some are doing a fabulous job.
To retain customers, businesses need to make them feel as safe as possible. Here’s how | jakemeth | October 2, 2020 | FortuneThe mechanical knobs and buttons look fabulous and I have no doubt turn with a wonderful tactility.
Teenage Engineering’s OB-4 ‘magic radio’ is a weird and beautiful wireless speaker | Devin Coldewey | October 1, 2020 | TechCrunchThe store selection and staff are fabulous, and all summer long they’re donating a portion of sales to the Southern Delaware Alliance for Racial Justice.
I’m ready to write the TV show about Turnbull’s fabulous career at absolutely any time.
They had more than enough to build fabulous new domiciles that surely at least equal their wildest dreams.
The Luxury Homes That Torture and Your Tax Dollars Built | Michael Daly | December 12, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTWith this cool leather moto hat from Vince Camuto, you can look fabulous and fashionable while keeping your locks in line.
The Daily Beast’s 2014 Holiday Gift Guide: For the Anthony Bourdain in Your Life | Allison McNearney | November 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIn the meantime, who better to convey the film's appeal than Pauline Kael, the fabulous longtime New Yorker movie critic.
The Stacks: Pauline Kael's Talking Heads Obsession | Pauline Kael | November 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBut he breathed vibrant, hilarious, oh-so-fabulous life into the classic 1996 remake.
Out of the Birdcage: How Mike Nichols Made Gay Culture Mainstream | Kevin Fallon | November 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBut McCarthy parlayed her naked ambition into a pretty fabulous career.
Was a pupil of Caspar Netscher of Heidelberg, whose little pictures are of fabulous value.
Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D. | Clara Erskine ClementIn the evening the little theatre is illuminated regardless of expense, a fabulous sum being expended on extra lamps.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3) | Charles James WillsThe Spaniards and Portuguese at first controlled the trade in tobacco, and extorted most fabulous prices for it.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce | E. R. Billings.Her fabulous head reposed upon his brow, like a casque of ancient days whereby warriors struck fear to the hearts of their foes.
Charles Baudelaire, His Life | Thophile GautierThose who did not hear of this in time offered fabulous prices afterward for a single pound.
British Dictionary definitions for fabulous
/ (ˈfæbjʊləs) /
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
Origin of fabulous
1Derived forms of fabulous
- fabulously, adverb
- fabulousness, noun
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
Browse