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
plural
legendariesadjective
-
of or relating to legend
-
celebrated or described in a legend or legends
-
very famous or notorious
Other Word Forms
- legendarily adverb
- prelegendary adjective
- pseudolegendary adjective
- quasi-legendary adjective
- semilegendary adjective
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.
The victory made legendary trainer Charlie Whittingham a Kentucky Derby winner for the first time.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2026
He then went back to the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, and became a partner in Duquesne Capital Management, run by legendary investor Stanley Druckenmiller.
From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026
In 1967 the company released the Cosmo Sport 110S, a car legendary for its styling if not its reliability.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
“Michael,” starring the legendary pop star’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, hits 3,900 screens nationwide on Friday.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026
Silversmith, printmaker, businessman, and patriot, Revere has acquired heroic status thanks to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s long poem about his legendary midnight ride, and Copley’s painting has become virtually an American icon.
From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson
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.
