Standard Lemma guide

fantastic

adj · noun · 11 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /fænˈtæs.tɪk/
  • Australian, British, Southern, Standard: [fanˈthas.tɪk(h)]
  • [fɛə̯nˈthæs.tɪk(h)] US, æ-raising
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • New-Zealand: /fɛnˈtɛs.tək/
  • India: /fen.ʈæs.ʈɪk/
  • rhymes with -æstɪk
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: F AE0 N T AE1 S T IH0 K Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Wonderful; marvelous; excellent; extraordinarily good or great (used especially as an intensifier).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • "I had a simply fantastic vacation, and I can't wait to tell you all about it!"

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: brilliant, fabulous, splendid, super, wonderful, ace, admirable, amazing, awe-inspiring, awesome, badass, bang on, bang-up, studly, based, beatific, beneship, bitching, blissful, bomb, bully, celestial, cher, choice, chronic, chur, cock on, commendable, cool, copacetic, crackerjack, cushty, dank, def, delightful, divine, dope, epic, excellent, exceptional, exemplary, exquisite, extraordinary, fab, fantabulosa, fantastic, fierce, finger-lickin' good, fire, fireball, first-rate, fly, frabjous, glorious, gnarly, goated, great, grouse, heavenlike, heavenly, immaculate, impeccable, incredible, kick-ass, kicking, killer, lash, lautitious, lit, magnificent, marvelous, nang, outstanding, out of sight, phat, peak, peng, phenomenal, pog, poggers, priceless, pukka, quality, rad, radical, remarkable, rum, sensational, sick, slap-up, slick, spectacular, spiffing, spot on, stellar, sterling, stunning, superb, superior, sweet, swell, terrific, tight, top, top-drawer, top-hole, top-notch, top-of-the-range, top-shelf, topping, tubular, tuff, well-done, wicked, wicked pissah, worldie

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Existing in or constructed from fantasy; of or relating to fantasy; fanciful.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • He told fantastic stories of dragons and goblins.
  • His fantastic post-college plans had all collapsed within a year of graduation.
  • She had a fantastic view of her own importance that none of her colleagues shared.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fantastical, fabulous

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Given to fanciful ideas, impulsive; irrational.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Not believable; implausible; seemingly only possible in fantasy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fantastical, unrealistic, wild

Antonyms: none provided

5

adj

Meaning 5

Resembling fantasies in irregularity, caprice, or eccentricity; irregular; grotesque.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A fanciful or whimsical person.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

adjective satellite

Meaning 7

ludicrously odd

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Hamlet's assumed antic disposition
  • fantastic Halloween costumes
  • a grotesque reflection in the mirror

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: antic, fantastical, grotesque

Antonyms: none provided

8

adjective satellite

Meaning 8

extraordinarily good or great ; used especially as intensifiers

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a fantastic trip to the Orient
  • the film was fantastic!
  • a howling success
  • a marvelous collection of rare books
  • had a rattling conversation about politics
  • a tremendous achievement

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: grand, howling(a), marvelous, marvellous, rattling(a), terrific, tremendous, wonderful, wondrous

Antonyms: none provided

9

adjective satellite

Meaning 9

extravagantly fanciful in design, construction, appearance

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Gaudi's fantastic architecture

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

adjective satellite

Meaning 10

existing in fancy only- Nathaniel Hawthorne

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • fantastic figures with bulbous heads the circumference of a bushel

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fantastical

Antonyms: none provided

11

adjective satellite

Meaning 11

fanciful and unrealistic; foolish

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a fantastic idea of his own importance

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: wild

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bheh2-der. Proto-Hellenic *pháňňō Ancient Greek φαίνω (phaínō) Ancient Greek φαντάζω (phantázō) Proto-Indo-European *-tis Ancient Greek -τις (-tis) Ancient Greek -σῐς (-sĭs) Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Hellenic *-kos Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) ? Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Hellenic *-tós Ancient Greek -τος (-tos) ▲ Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) ? Ancient Greek -τικός (-tikós) Ancient Greek φανταστικός (phantastikós)bor. Late Latin phantasticusbor. Middle French fantastiquebor. English fantastic Borrowed from Middle French fantastique, borrowed from Late Latin phantasticus, borrowed from Ancient Greek φᾰντᾰστῐκός (phăntăstĭkós, “imaginary, fantastic; fictional”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bheh2- (“to shine”). Equivalent to fantasy + -tic. Doublet of fantastique.

Across languages

Translations

91 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: رَائِع (rāʔiʕ) — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Arabic: رَهيب (rahīb) — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Arabic: خُرافي (ḵurāfi) — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Arabic: خرافي (ḵurāfi) — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Asturian: fantásticu — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Bulgarian: чу́ден (čúden) — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Catalan: fantàstic — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Chinese Mandarin: 奇妙 (qímiào) — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Czech: fantastický — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Danish: fantastisk — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Dutch: fantastisch — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Dutch: grandioos — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Esperanto: fantasta — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Finnish: ihmeellinen — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Finnish: ihana — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Finnish: mahtava — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Finnish: uskomaton — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Finnish: upea — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Finnish: fantastinen — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • French: fantastique — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Galician: fantástico — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • German: fantastisch — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Gothic: 𐍅𐌿𐌻𐌸𐌰𐌲𐍃 (wulþags) — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Hindi: अद्भुत (adbhut) — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Hungarian: fantasztikus — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Ido: fantastika — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Indonesian: fantastis — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Italian: fantastico — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Italian: fantastica — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Japanese: 素晴らしい (subarashii) — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Japanese: 素敵 (suteki) — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Japanese: ファンタスティック (fantasutikku) — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Lithuanian: fantastinis — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Manx: ard-yindyssagh — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Norwegian: fantastisk — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Polish: fantastyczny — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Polish: niesamowity — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Portuguese: fantástico — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Romanian: fantastic — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Russian: чуде́сный (čudésnyj) — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Russian: превосхо́дный (prevosxódnyj) — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Russian: великоле́пный (velikolépnyj) — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Spanish: fantástico — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Swedish: fantastisk — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Turkish: harika — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Urdu: ادبھت (adbhut) — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Welsh: bendigedig — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Yiddish: פֿאַנטאַסטיש (fantastish) — wonderful, marvelous, excellent, extraordinarily good
  • Asturian: fantásticu — existing in or constructed from fantasy
  • Bulgarian: фантастичен (fantastičen) — existing in or constructed from fantasy
  • Bulgarian: недействителен (nedejstvitelen) — existing in or constructed from fantasy
  • Catalan: fantàstic — existing in or constructed from fantasy
  • Chinese Mandarin: 匪夷所思 (fěiyísuǒsī) — existing in or constructed from fantasy
  • Czech: fantastický — existing in or constructed from fantasy
  • Dutch: fantasierijk — existing in or constructed from fantasy
  • Esperanto: fantazia — existing in or constructed from fantasy
  • Estonian: fantastiline — existing in or constructed from fantasy
  • Finnish: mielikuvituksellinen — existing in or constructed from fantasy
  • Finnish: ihmeellinen — existing in or constructed from fantasy
  • French: fantastique — existing in or constructed from fantasy
  • Galician: fantástico — existing in or constructed from fantasy
  • German: fantastisch — existing in or constructed from fantasy
  • Greek: φανταστικός (fantastikós) — existing in or constructed from fantasy
  • Ancient Greek: φαντασιώδης (phantasiṓdēs) — existing in or constructed from fantasy
  • Hungarian: fantasztikus — existing in or constructed from fantasy
  • Indonesian: fantastis — existing in or constructed from fantasy
  • Polish: fantastyczny — existing in or constructed from fantasy
  • Portuguese: fantástico — existing in or constructed from fantasy
  • Romanian: fantastic — existing in or constructed from fantasy
  • Russian: фантасти́ческий (fantastíčeskij) — existing in or constructed from fantasy
  • Serbo-Croatian: fantàstično — existing in or constructed from fantasy
  • Serbo-Croatian: fantàstičan — existing in or constructed from fantasy
  • Serbo-Croatian: fantastična — existing in or constructed from fantasy
  • Bulgarian: странен (stranen) — not believable, only possible in fantasy
  • Bulgarian: причудлив (pričudliv) — not believable, only possible in fantasy
  • Catalan: fantàstic — not believable, only possible in fantasy
  • Czech: fantastický — not believable, only possible in fantasy
  • Finnish: mielikuvituksellinen — not believable, only possible in fantasy
  • Finnish: ihmeellinen — not believable, only possible in fantasy
  • Finnish: uskomaton — not believable, only possible in fantasy
  • French: fantastique — not believable, only possible in fantasy
  • Galician: fantástico — not believable, only possible in fantasy
  • Hungarian: fantasztikus — not believable, only possible in fantasy
  • Indonesian: fantastis — not believable, only possible in fantasy
  • Polish: fantastyczny — not believable, only possible in fantasy
  • Polish: niesamowity — not believable, only possible in fantasy
  • Russian: причу́дливый (pričúdlivyj) — not believable, only possible in fantasy
  • Finnish: ihmeellinen — resembling fantasies in irregularity, grotesque
  • Finnish: kummallinen — resembling fantasies in irregularity, grotesque
  • Finnish: omituinen — resembling fantasies in irregularity, grotesque
  • German: phantasievoll — resembling fantasies in irregularity, grotesque
Real reading context

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