Meanings
adjectivefabulous (comparative more fabulous, superlative most fabulous)
comparative more fabulous · superlative most fabulous
- Characteristic of fables; marvelous, extraordinary, incredible.
[F]abulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: […]
1949, Joseph Campbell, “The Hero and the God”, in The Hero with a Thousand Faces1 more example
If every case was clear and easy, Claire, they wouldn't pay us these fabulous salaries.
1995 November 8, Ed Zuckerman, Morgan Gendel, “Hot Pursuit” (36:59 from the start), in Law & Order, season 6, episode 5, spoken by Executive ADA Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) - Fictional or not believable; made up.
- obsoleteKnown for telling fables or falsehoods; unreliable.
- slangVery good; outstanding, wonderful.
- slangCamp, effeminate.
- slangFashionable, glamorous.
Synonyms & antonyms
Similar
adjectivebased on or told of in traditional stories; lacking factual basis or historical validity
adjectivebarely credible
Similar
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂-
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰéh₂ti
- Proto-Italic*fāōr
- Latinfor, fā-
- Latinfābula
- Proto-Indo-European*h₃ed-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₃édosder.?
- Latinfābulōsus
- Middle Englishfabulous
- Englishfabulous
From Late Middle English fabulous, fabulose, from Latin fābulōsus (“celebrated in fable”); Equivalent to fable + -ous.
More words from Middle English, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek μυθώδης
- μυθώδης (muthṓdēs)mythical or legendary; incredible
Bulgarian баснословен, легендарен
- баснословен (basnosloven)of the nature of a fable; unhistorical
- легендарен (legendaren)mythical or legendary; incredible
- преувеличен (preuveličen)extraordinary, especially in being very large
- чудесен (čudesen)very good; wonderful
Chinese Mandarin 寓言(似)的, 传奇式的
- 寓言(似)的of the nature of a fable; unhistorical
- 传奇式的mythical or legendary; incredible
- 神话式的mythical or legendary; incredible
- 非凡 (fēifán)extraordinary, especially in being very large
- 了不起 (liǎobuqǐ)extraordinary, especially in being very large
- 极好 (jíhǎo)very good; wonderful
Danish fabelagtig, fantastisk
- fabelagtigvery good; wonderful
- fantastiskvery good; wonderful
Finnish tarumainen, tarunomainen
- tarumainenof the nature of a fable; unhistorical
- tarunomainenmythical or legendary; incredible
- satumainenextraordinary, especially in being very large
- mahtavaextraordinary, especially in being very large
- satumainenvery good; wonderful
French fabuleux
- fabuleuxof the nature of a fable; unhistorical
German sagenhaft, sagenumwoben
- sagenhaftof the nature of a fable; unhistorical
- sagenumwobenof the nature of a fable; unhistorical
- unhistorischof the nature of a fable; unhistorical
- märchenhaftof the nature of a fable; unhistorical
- mythischmythical or legendary; incredible
- unglaubhaftmythical or legendary; incredible
- nicht glaubwürdigmythical or legendary; incredible
- sagenhaftextraordinary, especially in being very large
- außerordentlichextraordinary, especially in being very large
- außergewöhnlichextraordinary, especially in being very large
- fabelhaftvery good; wonderful
- märchenhaftvery good; wonderful
Hebrew נפלא
- נפלא (niflá)very good; wonderful
Indonesian menakjubkan
- menakjubkanmythical or legendary; incredible
Italian favoloso, favoloso
- favolosoof the nature of a fable; unhistorical
- favolosovery good; wonderful
Latvian pasakains, pasakains
- pasakainsof the nature of a fable; unhistorical
- pasakainsmythical or legendary; incredible
- pasakainsvery good; wonderful
Norwegian fabelaktig
- fabelaktigvery good; wonderful
Polish bajeczny, bajeczny
- bajecznyof the nature of a fable; unhistorical
- bajecznyvery good; wonderful
- bajkowyvery good; wonderful
Portuguese fabuloso, fantástico
- fabulosoof the nature of a fable; unhistorical
- fantásticoof the nature of a fable; unhistorical
- fabularof the nature of a fable; unhistorical
- fabulosomythical or legendary; incredible
- fabulosovery good; wonderful
Romanian fabulos, mitic
- fabulosof the nature of a fable; unhistorical
- miticmythical or legendary; incredible
- legendarmythical or legendary; incredible
- incredibilmythical or legendary; incredible
- extraordinarextraordinary, especially in being very large
- fabulosextraordinary, especially in being very large
- foarte bunvery good; wonderful
- extrem de bunvery good; wonderful
Russian сказочный, баснословный
- сказочный (skazočnyj)of the nature of a fable; unhistorical
- баснословный (basnoslovnyj)of the nature of a fable; unhistorical
- невероя́тный (neverojátnyj)mythical or legendary; incredible
- необычайный (neobyčajnyj)mythical or legendary; incredible
- преувеличенный (preuveličennyj)extraordinary, especially in being very large
- потряса́ющий (potrjasájuščij)very good; wonderful
Spanish fantástico, fabuloso
- fantásticoof the nature of a fable; unhistorical
- fabulosoof the nature of a fable; unhistorical
- increíblemythical or legendary; incredible
- fabulosomythical or legendary; incredible
- extraordinarioextraordinary, especially in being very large
- fabulosoextraordinary, especially in being very large
- maravillosovery good; wonderful
- fabulosovery good; wonderful
Swedish sagolik, fabulös
- sagolikof the nature of a fable; unhistorical
- fabulösmythical or legendary; incredible
- sagolikmythical or legendary; incredible
- fantastiskmythical or legendary; incredible
- sagolikextraordinary, especially in being very large
- fantastiskextraordinary, especially in being very large
- fantastiskvery good; wonderful
- underbarvery good; wonderful
- fabulösvery good; wonderful
Turkish şahane
- şahanevery good; wonderful
Yiddish פֿאַנטאַסטיש
- פֿאַנטאַסטיש (fantastish)very good; wonderful
Cite this entry
APA
fabulous. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fabulous
MLA
“fabulous.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fabulous. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fabulous,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fabulous.
Source: fabulous on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.