fantastical

F4A1N1T1A1S1T1I1C3A1L1
/fænˈtæstɪkəl/

adjective

Of or pertaining to fantasy.

Similar
fantasticunrealanticgrotesquestrangeunusual
OriginProto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? ← English fantastic ← Middle French fantastique →
UncommonScrabble 16
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Meanings

adjectivefantastical (comparative more fantastical, superlative most fantastical)

comparative more fantastical · superlative most fantastical · alternative archaic phantastical · alternative obsolete phantasticall

  1. Of or pertaining to fantasy.
  2. Fanciful or whimsical.
  3. rareFantastic; wonderful; splendid.
nounfantastical (plural fantasticals)

plural fantasticals · alternative archaic phantastical · alternative obsolete phantasticall

  1. Something that is fantastical.

    (see title)

    2016, Hugh A. D. Spencer, Why I Hunt Flying Saucers and Other Fantasticals
    2 more examples

    On New Year's day our borough witnessed a parade of the fantasticals — the immediate body guard of the lately elected redoubtable Col. Sheffler.

    1991, Charles E. Welch, Oh! Dem Golden Slippers: The Story of the Philadelphia Mummers, page 29

    A Family of Fantasticals

    2024, Cort Lane, Monster and Me 6: The Secret Beneath the Palace, page 19

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveexisting in fancy only

Similar
fantasticunreal

adjectiveludicrously odd

Similar
anticfantasticgrotesquestrangeunusual
Also see
anticfantasticgrotesquestrangeunusual

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*bʰh₂nyéti
  3. Proto-Hellenic*pʰáňňō
  4. Ancient Greekφαίνω (phaínō)
  5. Ancient Greekφαντάζω (phantázō)
  6. Ancient Greekφανταστικός (phantastikós)
  7. Late Latinphantasticus
  8. Middle Frenchfantastique
  9. Englishfantastic
  10. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
  11. Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
  12. Englishfantastical

From fantastic + -al.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 幻想的, 奇幻的
  • 幻想的 (huànxiǎng de)pertaining to fantasy
  • 奇幻的 (qíhuàn de)pertaining to fantasy
  • 奇幻的東西 /奇幻的东西 (qīhuàn de dōngxi)something that is fantastical
  • 幻想事物 (huànxiǎng shìwù)something that is fantastical
Finnish mielikuvituksellinen, mielikuvitusolento
  • mielikuvituksellinenpertaining to fantasy
  • mielikuvitusolentosomething that is fantastical
Polish fantasy, fantastyczny
  • fantasypertaining to fantasy
  • fantastycznypertaining to fantasy
Portuguese fantástico
  • fantásticopertaining to fantasy
Russian фантасти́ческий
  • фантасти́ческий (fantastíčeskij)pertaining to fantasy
Ukrainian фантасти́чний
  • фантасти́чний (fantastýčnyj)pertaining to fantasy
Cite this entry
APA

fantastical. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fantastical

MLA

“fantastical.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fantastical. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fantastical,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fantastical.

Source: fantastical on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.