fabulous
gb/fˈæbjələs/ us/fˈæbjələs/
B1
English
~ 8000
fantasztikus, csillagászati, hatalmas, mesés, mesebeli, mitikus
B1
INFORMAL
1
fantasztikus
B1
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] is fabulous; a fabulous [noun]
You look absolutely fabulous in that suit.
Egyszerűen fantasztikusan nézel ki abban az öltönyben.
We had a fabulous time on our vacation.
Fantasztikusan éreztük magunkat a nyaralásunkon.
The concert last night was simply fabulous.
That was a fabulous meal; thank you for cooking.
She did a fabulous job organizing the event.
Learner examples
The party was fabulous and everyone had fun.
A buli fantasztikus volt, és mindenki jól érezte magát.
Your cake is fabulous; it tastes so good.
Fantasztikus lett a tortád; nagyon finom.
He is a fabulous teacher and I learn a lot.
This hotel is fabulous, and the staff are very kind.
My sister has a fabulous voice when she sings.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "fabulous" in very formal writing (like academic essays), where more neutral words such as "excellent" or "very good" are more appropriate. They may also confuse "fabulous" with "fabled"; "fabulous" in modern everyday English usually means "very good", not "told in stories".
Meaning
extremely good or enjoyable
Collocations
fabulous time
|fabulous job
|fabulous dress
|fabulous news
|look fabulous
|absolutely fabulous
Synonyms
wonderful (Slightly more neutral and common in both spoken and written English.)
|
fantastic (Very close in meaning; often sounds equally enthusiastic and informal.)
|
great (Weaker and more general; less intense excitement than "fabulous".)
|
excellent (More neutral or slightly formal; focuses on high quality rather than excitement.)
Antonyms
terrible (Expresses that something is very bad, the opposite of extremely good.)
|
awful (Strongly negative and emotional, opposite of the positive feeling in "fabulous".)
|
disappointing (Shows that something failed to be good or enjoyable.)
Themes
daily life
|emotions
|communication
|core_vocabulary
|daily_life
Definition
Very, very good or very enjoyable.
Extremely good, impressive, or enjoyable; giving great pleasure or satisfaction.
B2
2
Usage pattern:
fabulous [amount/quantity]; fabulous [noun] of [something]
The tech firm reported fabulous profits last year.
A technológiai cég tavaly csillagászati nyereségről számolt be.
She inherited a fabulous fortune from a distant relative.
Mesés vagyont örökölt egy távoli rokonától.
They offered him a fabulous salary to join the company.
Collectors are willing to pay fabulous sums for rare comics.
The star lives in a mansion bought for a fabulous price.
Learner examples
The singer earns a fabulous amount of money.
Az énekes csillagászati összeget keres.
His parents spent a fabulous sum on the wedding.
A szülei csillagászati összeget költöttek az esküvőre.
The company made a fabulous profit this year.
They won a fabulous prize in the lottery.
She has a fabulous collection of expensive watches.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "fabulous" here always means emotionally positive. It usually suggests the amount is impressively large, which can be positive (a fabulous salary) or neutral/critical (fabulous prices that are too high).
Meaning
extremely large or impressive amount
Collocations
fabulous wealth
|fabulous fortune
|fabulous salary
|fabulous profits
|fabulous sums
|fabulous price
Synonyms
enormous (Focuses on very large size or amount, without the extra emotional excitement of "fabulous".)
|
immense (Highlights very great size or degree, often slightly more formal.)
|
staggering (Emphasizes that the amount is shockingly or surprisingly large.)
Antonyms
modest (Describes an amount that is not very large, often purposely small or simple.)
|
small (Directly opposite in terms of size or quantity.)
Themes
money
|business
|description
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Very, very big or very high in amount, in a way that is almost hard to believe.
Extremely large, impressive, or almost hard to believe in size, quantity, or degree.
C1
LITERARY
3
Usage pattern:
fabulous [creature/place/kingdom/adventure]
The hero battles fabulous beasts in the ancient poem.
A hős mesebeli szörnyekkel küzd meg az ősi költeményben.
Children love stories about fabulous creatures like dragons and unicorns.
A gyerekek szeretik a mesebeli lényekről, például sárkányokról és egyszarvúakról szóló történeteket.
The novel is set in a fabulous kingdom beyond the edge of the known world.
Explorers once returned with tales of fabulous lands across the sea.
The cave was said to contain fabulous treasures guarded by spirits.
Learner examples
The book is about a fabulous city in the sky.
A könyv egy mesebeli városról szól, amely az égben van.
In the story, a boy rides a fabulous animal with wings.
A történetben egy fiú egy szárnyas mesebeli állaton lovagol.
Old maps sometimes show fabulous islands that are not real.
He dreams of a fabulous world full of magic.
Many cultures have stories of fabulous monsters in the sea.
Common mistake:
Learners often do not know this older, literary sense and assume "fabulous creatures" simply means "very good creatures". In this meaning, "fabulous" is about not being real and existing only in stories.
Meaning
imaginary, like in myths or fables
Collocations
fabulous creatures
|fabulous beasts
|fabulous kingdom
|fabulous adventures
|fabulous land
|fabulous riches
Synonyms
mythical (Very close in meaning; strongly linked to myths and legends.)
|
legendary (Often suggests both being from legends and being very famous.)
|
imaginary (General word for not real; does not specifically suggest myths or old tales.)
Antonyms
real (Describes something that actually exists in the world.)
|
historical (Refers to things known from real history, not made-up stories.)
Themes
literature
|fantasy
|storytelling
|arts_entertainment
Definition
Not real, but from stories or old tales, like dragons or magic lands.
Existing only in stories, myths, or legends; not real and often strange or magical.
Grammar
Dictionary form
fabulous
IPA
GB/fˈæbjələs/
US/fˈæbjələs/
Syllables & stress
fab - ulous (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (fab)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: fabulous
Word family
Core family
fabulously
adverb C1
Related words
fable
noun B1
fab
adjective
Advanced or less common
fabulousness
noun
fabled
adjective
Expressions
absolutely fabulous
1/ˌæbsəlˈutli fˈæbjələs/
fixed phrase
informal
completely and extremely good
Used to say that something is extremely, completely good or enjoyable.
Examples
- The food at that restaurant is absolutely fabulous.
- Her performance last night was absolutely fabulous.
feel fabulous
1/fˈil fˈæbjələs/
fixed phrase
informal
feel extremely well or happy
To feel very healthy, happy, or full of energy.
Examples
- I feel fabulous after my holiday.
- She said she feels fabulous in her new job.
look fabulous
1/lˈʊk fˈæbjələs/
fixed phrase
informal
appear extremely attractive or good
To seem very beautiful or very good when someone sees you or it.
Examples
- You look fabulous in that dress.
- The house looks fabulous after the renovation.
sounds fabulous
1/sˈaʊndz fˈæbjələs/
fixed phrase
informal
seem extremely good when described
To seem very good or exciting when someone hears about an idea, plan, or thing.
Examples
- A weekend at the beach? That sounds fabulous.
- Your plan to study abroad sounds fabulous.