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
-
legendaries
plural
adjective
-
of or relating to legend
-
celebrated or described in a legend or legends
-
very famous or notorious
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
prelegendaryadjective
-
pseudolegendaryadjective
-
quasi-legendaryadjective
-
semilegendaryadjective
-
legendarilyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
See Examples For:
In the build-up during the week, Powell had challenged his players to earn legendary status, knowing that was their long-term reward if they could emerge victorious.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
We respected that Hilton handled King Taco’s legendary red salsa with ease, even as he admitted it was “spicier” than he expected.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026
Powering aboard the 75-foot Mighty Mary, the women defeated the legendary Dennis Conner’s Stars & Stripes in the semis to book a spot in the final.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
While the penthouse was a perfect location for Gorman in the later years of his legendary career, he’s ready for a new chapter.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026
By the time the last legendary grandparent had held him and loved him as a grandson, Jason’s heartbreak felt soothed.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
It is possible to take on easy ones on your own, but for legendaries, it’s best to find some friends.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 20, 2018
The game has gotten slow for me now that I have completed my Pokédex, except of course for the legendaries and region-exclusive Pokémon.
From The Guardian ● Oct. 6, 2016
But who knows, maybe if Niantic releases the legendaries and 2nd generation Pokémon I might risk it.
From The Guardian ● Oct. 6, 2016
Outside of these two major themes, the game is littered with other awesome new cards, especially a fleet of legendaries with amazing and occasionally hilarious new abilities.
From Forbes ● Dec. 12, 2014
The corresponding works in the Western Church are the passionaries or legendaries, varieties of which are dispersed in libraries and have not been studied collectively.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 7 "Gyantse" to "Hallel" by Various
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.
