fabulously
gb/fˈæbjuləsli/ us/fˈæbjuləsli/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
adverb
C1
quantity
1
extremely; to a great degree
very; extremely
Usage pattern:
fabulously + [adjective/adverb]
Common mistake:
Don’t use it as an adjective (*a fabulously dress). Use it to modify an adjective, adverb, or verb (a fabulously expensive dress / dressed fabulously).
Synonyms
extremely (more neutral and less expressive.)
|
remarkably (suggests the degree is surprising.)
|
incredibly (more informal; often implies disbelief.)
Antonyms
slightly (shows a small degree rather than an extreme one.)
|
moderately (indicates a middle degree.)
Collocations
fabulously expensive
|fabulously wealthy
|fabulously rich
|fabulously successful
|fabulously popular
|fabulously talented
|fabulously good
|fabulously bad
|fabulously high
|fabulously well-paid
Themes
daily_life
|evaluation
|emphasis
Examples
- The hotel was fabulously expensive during peak season.
- She’s fabulously talented and learns new languages quickly.
- Their new app is doing fabulously well in the market.
Learner examples
- The tickets are fabulously expensive.
- He is fabulously rich.
adverb
C1
property
2
very well; very successfully
very well; with great success
Usage pattern:
[someone] do(es) [something] fabulously
Common mistake:
In this sense it usually describes performance or results (do/perform/cope fabulously), not physical position (*sit fabulously).
Synonyms
brilliantly (emphasizes skill and intelligence.)
|
wonderfully (emphasizes a pleasant or positive result.)
|
superbly (more formal; suggests very high quality.)
Antonyms
poorly (indicates low quality or lack of success.)
|
badly (general opposite for negative performance.)
Collocations
do fabulously
|perform fabulously
|work fabulously
|turn out fabulously
|go fabulously
|cope fabulously
|sell fabulously
|test fabulously
|fit fabulously
|taste fabulously
Themes
work
|education
|evaluation
Examples
- Despite the pressure, she handled the interview fabulously.
- The new system has been working fabulously since the update.
- Their first album sold fabulously in Europe.
Learner examples
- You did fabulously on the test.
- The plan worked fabulously.
adverb
C1
property
3
in a glamorous, stylish way
in a very stylish and impressive way
Usage pattern:
look/dress/live/travel/celebrate fabulously
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse it with 'famous' (about being known). 'Fabulously' means 'very' or 'wonderfully/stylishly', not 'well-known'.
Synonyms
glamorously (focuses on beauty and attraction.)
|
stylishly (focuses on fashion and taste.)
|
luxuriously (focuses on comfort and expense.)
Antonyms
plainly (without decoration or style.)
|
shabbily (in a worn or untidy way.)
Collocations
dress fabulously
|look fabulously
|styled fabulously
|decorated fabulously
|fabulously dressed
|fabulously chic
|live fabulously
|fabulously glamorous
|fabulously elegant
|fabulously luxurious
Themes
fashion
|lifestyle
|appearance
Examples
- She was dressed fabulously for the awards ceremony.
- The room was fabulously decorated in deep blues and gold.
- They spent the weekend fabulously, with great food and live music.
Learner examples
- She looks fabulously stylish.
- The house is fabulously decorated.
adverb
literary
C2
property
4
in an unreal, fairy-tale way
in a way that seems unreal, like in a story
Usage pattern:
fabulously + [adjective/adverb]
Synonyms
fantastically (more common; can also mean 'extremely good' in everyday speech.)
|
mythically (suggests the tone of myth or legend.)
Antonyms
realistically (based on what is real and likely.)
|
plainly (without imaginative exaggeration.)
Collocations
fabulously unreal
|fabulously improbable
|fabulously exaggerated
|fabulously ornate
|fabulously strange
Themes
literature
|storytelling
Examples
- The tale describes a fabulously wealthy kingdom that never truly existed.
- His early biography was fabulously exaggerated by later writers.
Grammar
Dictionary form
fabulously
IPA
GB/fˈæbjuləsli/
US/fˈæbjuləsli/
Syllables & stress
fab - ulously (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (fab)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: fabulously
- Plural: fabulouslies
Word family
Expressions
do fabulously (well)
1/dˈu fˈæbjuləsli wˈɛl/
fixed phrase
be very successful
to do very well
Examples
- She did fabulously well in her final exams.
- The restaurant did fabulously in its first year.
fabulously expensive
1/fˈæbjuləsli ɪkspˈɛnsɪv/
fixed phrase
extremely expensive
very expensive
Examples
- The rent in that neighborhood is fabulously expensive.
- It’s a good camera, but it’s still fabulously expensive for most students.
fabulously successful
1/fˈæbjuləsli səksˈɛsfəl/
fixed phrase
extremely successful
very successful
Examples
- The book was fabulously successful and sold millions of copies.
- She built a fabulously successful career in finance.
fabulously wealthy
1/fˈæbjuləsli wˈɛlθi/
fixed phrase
extremely rich
very, very rich
Examples
- She became fabulously wealthy after selling her company.
- The family is fabulously wealthy, with homes on three continents.