fabulous

fabulous — adjective

1. extremely enjoyable, impressive, or of very high quality — the most common use o

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

extremely enjoyable, impressive, or of very high quality — the most common use of the word, expressing strong admiration or delight.

Example

The food at Soraya's wedding was absolutely fabulous — every dish was perfectly cooked.

absolutely fabulous — intensifier pattern

Amihan just got a fabulous job offer from a design company in Tokyo.

fabulous + noun (job offer) — attributive use

Common collocations
  • absolutely fabulous
  • look / feel fabulous
  • a fabulous time / party / holiday
  • fabulous food / weather / news
Synonyms
  • wonderful

    more neutral in tone; less emphatic than 'fabulous'

  • fantastic

    similar register and strength; interchangeable in most contexts

  • amazing

    slightly more informal and often used for surprising rather than purely positive qualities

  • terrific

    common in American English; slightly dated in British English

Antonyms
  • terrible

    direct opposite; describes something very bad

  • awful

    informal opposite; describes something unpleasant

Grammar Patterns

be + fabulous

fabulous + noun

Usage Note

Very common in informal and conversational English. Can stand alone as an enthusiastic one-word exclamation: 'Fabulous!'

Common Mistakes

The hotel had a fabulous swimming pool with comfortable rooms.
The hotel had a fabulous swimming pool and comfortable rooms.
'fabulous' describes quality, not physical size; keep it for things you admire, not neutral features.

2. so large in amount, size, or degree that it surprises or impresses you — used es

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

so large in amount, size, or degree that it surprises or impresses you — used especially for sums of money, fortunes, or quantities.

Example

The company's founder amassed a fabulous fortune before turning forty.

fabulous + fortune — typical quantity collocation

Nikhil paid a fabulous price for that vintage guitar — nearly nine thousand dollars.

Common collocations
  • a fabulous fortune / wealth
  • a fabulous sum / amount / price
  • fabulously rich / wealthy
Synonyms
  • enormous

    neutral term for physical size or quantity; no suggestion of luxury or admiration

  • immense

    more formal; emphasises how hard it is to measure the scale

  • colossal

    dramatic and slightly informal; suggests shock at the size

Antonyms
  • tiny

    direct opposite for physical size or amount

  • modest

    opposite for sums of money; suggests a small or reasonable amount

Grammar Patterns

fabulous + noun (wealth, sum, amount, fortune)

Usage Note

Almost always appears before nouns related to money, value, or size. Not typically used predicatively: 'The sum was fabulous' sounds old-fashioned. Prefer attributive placement: 'a fabulous sum of money.'

Common Mistakes

My homework was a fabulous amount of work.
I had a huge amount of homework.
The 'enormous' sense of 'fabulous' is reserved for impressive, often luxurious quantities (money, fortune), not everyday loads.

3. belonging to the world of myths, legends, or fables rather than to real life — u

3.adjectiveC1
Definition

belonging to the world of myths, legends, or fables rather than to real life — used for creatures, beings, or places that appear in traditional stories.

Example

The old story tells of fabulous creatures like three-headed dogs that guarded hidden treasure.

fabulous + creatures — literary collocation

Eshe loved reading about fabulous lands where animals could speak and trees bore jewels.

Common collocations
  • fabulous creatures / beasts / beings
  • fabulous lands / realms / worlds
  • fabulous tales / stories
Synonyms
  • mythical

    more academic and specific to mythology; 'fabulous' sounds more literary and story-like

  • legendary

    can describe both famous real people and mythical beings; broader than 'fabulous'

  • fantastical

    emphasises strangeness and imagination; less tied to traditional stories

Antonyms
  • real

    direct opposite; existing in actual life

  • historical

    opposite in the sense of documented reality rather than story

Grammar Patterns

fabulous + creature / beast / being

fabulous + land / world / realm

Usage Note

This is the original historical sense, related to 'fable'. Less common in everyday speech today — learners are more likely to encounter it in literature or mythology discussions.

Word family

  • fabulously
    adverbB2
  • fabulousness
    nounC1
  • fable
    nounB2
  • fabulist
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe something extremely positive, but they carry different tones. 'Wonderful' is the most neutral and widely usable — it suits both formal and casual contexts without sounding exaggerated. 'Fantastic' has a slightly more energetic, excited feel and is very common in British English. 'Amazing' originally meant 'causing astonishment', and though it has softened to a general positive, it still implies a hint of surprise. 'Terrific' works well in American English for everyday enthusiasm ('a terrific movie') but can sound old-fashioned in British speech. 'Fabulous' (this sense) leans towards delight and admiration — it often describes something stylish, enjoyable, or emotionally satisfying rather than merely good. A meal can be 'wonderful' (well-prepared) or 'fabulous' (a truly delightful, memorable experience).

wonderful ↗fantastic ↗amazing ↗terrific ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • look fabulous
  • feel fabulous

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Comes from Latin 'fabula' meaning 'a story or tale'. In Latin, 'fabulosus' meant 'full of stories' or 'mythical'. The word passed through Old French before entering English in the 1500s. For centuries it referred only to things from fables — mythical creatures and imaginary lands. Only in the late 1800s did English speakers start using it to mean 'astonishingly good', keeping the idea of 'so incredible it seems like a story' but applying it to positive admiration.