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
Etymology
Origin of phenomenal
First recorded in 1815–25; phenomen(on) + -al 1
Explanation
If you think something is amazing, astounding, or marvelous, you can also call it phenomenal. Your dog's phenomenal performance at the agilty competition earned her a blue ribbon — and a handful of biscuits. Phenomenal things aren't just cool — they're truly remarkable and possibly even unique. Your sister's campaign to raise money for cancer research, which amassed a million dollars in two weeks? That's phenomenal. And Serena Williams, having won an unprecedented 23 Grand Slam titles, is without question a phenomenal tennis player. This extraordinary word comes from the relatively ordinary Greek phainomenon, "appearance," and its Proto-Indo-European root bha-, "to shine."
Vocabulary lists containing phenomenal
The Crossover
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Michelle Obama's final address as First Lady (2017)
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Boy: Tales of Childhood
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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.
“Great CIOs are phenomenal at scaling, and what everyone wants right now is scale out of AI,” she said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
"The way we looked at Venus is that her legacy is phenomenal," Hale told BBC Sport.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
"Las Vegas has done a phenomenal job in preserving and... reclaiming water," said Bruce Nelson, whose family has owned the lake's marina for almost 70 years.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
“This class that we have right now has done a phenomenal job. We’re running more stuff than we were last year, just because it’s these kids’ second year in the program.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
But thanks to Hall’s phenomenal success rate he had no trouble filling the roster for this, his eighth expedition to Everest.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
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.
