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
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.
Porter was a pivotal figure in contemporary Los Angeles jazz, beginning with his studies under legendary educator Reggie Andrews in the Multi-School Jazz Band in Watts.
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026
He endorses an aphorism from Arrigo Sacchi, a legendary Italian manager, who described soccer as “the most important of the least important things.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
Hollywood star Angelina Jolie has put her legendary Los Angeles estate on the market for $29.9 million—nearly two years after confessing that she wanted to leave the U.S. for good and move abroad.
From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026
The film, which chronicles the legendary artist's rise from child star to one of the world's most famous pop icons, took in $26.1 million in its fourth week of release, Exhibitor Relations reported.
From Barron's • May 17, 2026
“You’re saying I should focus less on adventures that would make us more legendary, and more on stuff that might help Sheed?”
From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles
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.
