spectacular
Americanadjective
-
of or like a spectacle; marked by or given to an impressive, large-scale display.
-
dramatically daring or thrilling.
a spectacular dive from a cliff.
- Synonyms:
- breathtaking, dramatic, hair-raising
noun
-
a single television production featuring well-known performers and characterized by elaborate sets, costumes, staging, etc.
-
an impressive, large-scale display.
another Hollywood spectacular.
adjective
-
of or resembling a spectacle; impressive, grand, or dramatic
-
unusually marked or great
a spectacular increase in spending
noun
Other Word Forms
- nonspectacular adjective
- nonspectacularly adverb
- spectacularism noun
- spectacularity noun
- spectacularly adverb
- unspectacular adjective
- unspectacularly adverb
Etymology
Origin of spectacular
First recorded in 1675–85; from Latin spectācul(um) ( spectacle ) + -ar 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.
Mitoma has earned a reputation for spectacular goals and two of his 22 Premier League strikes earned him goal of the month awards.
From BBC
Harlequins reacted to the getting clarity on their coaching situation by beating Bristol in Cardiff, a measure of revenge for the Bears pooping their own stadium spectacular in December.
From BBC
The spectacular ensemble, arranged in the order Seurat originally chose, forms a composite portrait of the harbor town and its grassy environs.
"She made things that would be spectacular and shocking and didn't like the watering down of that."
From BBC
Where dinosaur tracks coexist beside spooky rows of barracks left from a 16th-century monastery, there’s a spectacular view of coastline all the way back to the white spires of Lisbon.
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.
