phenomenal
Americanadjective
-
highly extraordinary or prodigious; exceptional.
phenomenal speed.
- Synonyms:
- unprecedented, surpassing, outstanding, uncommon
-
of or relating to phenomena.
-
of the nature of a phenomenon; cognizable by the senses.
adjective
-
of or relating to a phenomenon
-
extraordinary; outstanding; remarkable
a phenomenal achievement
-
philosophy known or perceived by the senses rather than the mind
Other Word Forms
- nonphenomenal adjective
- nonphenomenally adverb
- phenomenality noun
- phenomenally adverb
- semiphenomenal adjective
- semiphenomenally adverb
- unphenomenal adjective
- unphenomenally adverb
Etymology
Origin of phenomenal
First recorded in 1815–25; phenomen(on) + -al 1
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.
Hellebuyck, who stopped 41 shots in a phenomenal effort, came up big again and the Americans killed both penalties.
From Los Angeles Times
It had 40 medals heading into Sunday, a phenomenal total for a country with a population nearly equal to that of Los Angeles County.
From Los Angeles Times
That initial disappointment was in stark contrast to the joy of compatriot Nakai, who ends a phenomenal debut campaign with an Olympic medal.
From BBC
“It’s hard for a national industry to ditch a business model that has been delivering phenomenal results for 50 years,” Jenkins continued, “even when that model doesn’t work anymore.”
"I think the word iconic is used a lot, and with the real mix of old and new, it's just a phenomenal venue," he says.
From BBC
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.