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fantastic

[ fan-tas-tik ]
/ fænˈtæs tɪk /
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See synonyms for: fantastic / fantasticality / fantastically on Thesaurus.com

adjective
extraordinarily good; excellent: a fantastic restaurant.
Also fan·tas·ti·cal [fan-tas-ti-kuhl] /fænˈtæs tɪ kəl/ .
  1. conceived or appearing as if conceived by an unrestrained imagination; odd and remarkable; bizarre; grotesque: The most fantastic rock formations are visible from the high plateau of the park’s rim trail.Artists rendered fantastic designs in the margin of the manuscript.
  2. fanciful or capricious, as persons or their ideas or actions: We never know what that fantastic creature will say next.
  3. imaginary or groundless in not being based on reality; foolish or irrational: You can’t let these fantastic fears of yours control your life.
  4. extravagantly fanciful; marvelous: The scenery and lighting they created for the dream sequences are truly fantastic!
  5. incredibly great or extreme; exorbitant: The rich are spending fantastic sums of money, even in this economy.
  6. highly unrealistic or impractical: They hatched a fantastic scheme to make a million dollars betting on horse races.
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Origin of fantastic

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English fantastik “pertaining to the imaginative faculty,” from Medieval Latin fantasticus, variant of Late Latin phantasticus, from Greek phantastikós “able to present the appearence (of something),” derivative of phantázein “to make present to the eye or mind” (akin to phānós “light, bright,” phaínein “to bring to light, cause to appear”) + -tikos -tic

synonym study for fantastic

2. See bizarre.

OTHER WORDS FROM fantastic

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT FANTASTICAL

What does fantastical mean?

Fantastical describes something that is odd and remarkable, as if created by an unrestrained imagination. It is a casual variant of fantastic.

While fantastic has multiple meanings, fantastical is more restricted.

Most often fantastical describes behavior that is extremely fanciful or odd, as in The magician’s act was so fantastical, I couldn’t believe my eyes!

Fantastical can also describe something that is eccentric, extremely fancy, or grotesque, as in The actress’s gown was a fantastical array of silk and diamonds.

Example: That story is so fantastical I can hardly believe it is true.

Where does fantastical come from?

The first records of fantastical come from around 1530. It combines the word fantastic, meaning “extremely fanciful or odd” or “eccentric or grotesque,”  and the suffix al, with the general sense “of the kind or having the form of.”

You’re most likely to hear fantastical in speech because it’s a casual word. It’s generally used when the speaker is so astonished by something that they want to emphasize just how fantastic it is. It’s not just fantastic, it’s fantastical.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to fantastical?

  • fantastically (adverb)
  • fantasticalness (noun)
  • superfantastically (adverb)

What are some synonyms for fantastical?

What are some words that share a root or word element with fantastical

What are some words that often get used in discussing fantastical?

How is fantastical used in real life?

Fantastical is normally used critically to describe something someone finds strange.

 

Try using fantastical!

Which of the following is NOT a synonym for fantastical?

A. grounded
B. extraordinary
C. wild
D. glorious

How to use fantastic in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for fantastic

fantastic
/ (fænˈtæstɪk) /

adjective Also: fantastical
noun
archaic a person who dresses or behaves eccentrically

Derived forms of fantastic

fantasticality or fantasticalness, noun

Word Origin for fantastic

C14 fantastik imaginary, via Late Latin from Greek phantastikos capable of imagining, from phantazein to make visible
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
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