Fabulous

'fæbjʊləs

adjectivemediumCommonGeneral

Definitions

2 meanings
1

Remarkable; extraordinarily good; wonderful.

'fæbjʊləs

adjectivepositivemedium
General

Extraordinarily good or attractive

She looked fabulous in her new dress.

💡 Simply: Think of something so amazing it's like a dream come true! That's fabulous! It's like when you get a brand new toy or see a fireworks show.

👶 For kids: Super duper good and amazing!

More Examples

2

We had a fabulous time at the party.

3

The weather was absolutely fabulous during our vacation.

4

The food at the restaurant was fabulous.

How It's Used

General

"The restaurant served a fabulous meal with impeccable service."

Entertainment

"The movie received fabulous reviews and quickly became a box-office hit."

2

Of or resembling a fable; imaginary; relating to fables.

'fæbjʊləs

adjectiveneutralAdvanced
Literature

Relating to or suggesting a fable

The artist created a series of paintings depicting fabulous landscapes.

💡 Simply: Like something from a story, often something imaginary or a little unbelievable, but still fun to talk about.

👶 For kids: Like a story with magical things in it.

More Examples

2

The hero in the story encountered fabulous creatures.

3

She described a fabulous city filled with wonders.

4

The myth told of a fabulous beast.

How It's Used

Literature

"The ancient myths often contain fabulous creatures and events."

Tip:Fabulous in this sense relates to the *fable* itself, the story's content.

Idioms & expressions

fabulous five

Referring to a group of five people who are exceptionally good or successful.

"The team's fabulous five scored the highest points in the competition."

fabulous fortune

A very large sum of money.

"He inherited a fabulous fortune from his grandfather."

From Latin *fabulosus* meaning 'full of fables' or 'celebrated in fables', related to *fabula* ('story, tale'). Originally, it described things that were legendary or mythical, but evolved to mean strikingly good or wonderful.

The word 'fabulous' initially appeared in the 15th century, borrowed from the Latin *fabulosus*. Early usages referred to things that resembled or were described in fables and myths. The shift to its modern meaning of 'excellent' or 'wonderful' occurred gradually over the subsequent centuries.

Memory tip

Imagine a fairytale (fable) - everything in it is FABULOUS!

fabilousfabulus

Usage

65%Spoken
35%Written