fantastic

1 of 3

adjective

fan·​tas·​tic fan-ˈta-stik 

fən-

variants or less commonly fantastical

fan-ˈta-sti-kəl 

1

a

: based on fantasy (see fantasy entry 1 sense 2) : not real

b

: conceived or seemingly conceived by unrestrained fancy

… fantastic new space and nuclear weapons.

—Jack Raymond

c

: so extreme as to challenge belief : unbelievable

… a fantastic industrial complex of steel, coal, machine tools, and other heavy industries …

—M. S. Handler

broadly : exceedingly large or great

spent fantastic sums on his library

2

: marked by extravagant fantasy or extreme individuality : eccentric

fantastic works of art

3

fantastic : excellent, superlative

a fantastic meal

fantasticality

(ˌ)fan-ˌta-stə-ˈka-lə-tē 

fən-

noun

fantasticalness

fan-ˈta-stə-kəl-nəs 

noun

fantastic

2 of 3

noun (1)

: eccentric sense 1

fantasticality

3 of 3

noun (2)

fan·​tas·​ti·​cal·​i·​ty

plural -es

1

: fantastic quality

consider the fantasticality of enforcing loyalty by oath

—W. T. Hastings

2

: a fantastic incident, event, or account

an amusing volume of natural fantasticalities

Synonyms of fantastic

Adjective

• bizarre
• absurd
• unreal
• foolish
• insane

Choose the Right Synonym for fantastic

fantastic, bizarre, grotesque mean conceived, made, or carried out without adherence to truth or reality.

fantastic may connote extravagance in conception or ingenuity of decorative invention.

dreamed up fantastic rumors

bizarre applies to the sensationally strange and implies violence of contrast or incongruity of combination.

a bizarre medieval castle in the heart of a modern city

grotesque may apply to what is conventionally ugly but artistically effective or it may connote ludicrous awkwardness or incongruity often with sinister or tragic overtones.

grotesque statues on the cathedral

though grieving, she made a grotesque attempt at a smile

synonyms see in addition imaginary

Examples of fantastic in a Sentence

Adjective

The train runs at fantastic speeds.

a fantastic scheme for getting rich quick

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Beautiful weather in Baltimore Monday into Tuesday After storms exit by midnight, Monday and Tuesday are looking fantastic weatherwise. —Steven Sosna, CBS News, 14 June 2026

The country is right in the middle of hosting a fantastic World Cup tournament -- one that has captured the hearts of foreign visitors from all over the world -- and is still soaking in their team's big win over Paraguay on Friday. —Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 June 2026

Noun

Of course, the speculative, the surreal, the fantastic has always lent itself to intense, often other-wordly experiences of grief and upheaval. —Literary Hub, 29 May 2026

So first of all, María Corina Machado's fantastic. —NBC news, 4 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

fantastic going back to Middle English fantastik "of imagination as a faculty, produced by the imagination, not real, unfounded, false, supernatural," borrowed from Middle French & Late Latin; Middle French fantastique, borrowed from Late Latin phantasticus "of the imagination, deceptive, imaginary," borrowed from Greek phantastikós "able to produce the appearance of something, resulting from the imagination," from phantast- (stem in nominal derivation corresponding to phantasía "appearance, image, imagination" and phantázein "to make visible, present to the eye or mind, (middle voice) place before one's mind, imagine") + -ikos -ic entry 1; fantastical going back to Middle English fantasticalle, from fantastik + -alle -al entry 1 — more at fantasy entry 1

Noun (1)

derivative of fantastic entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (1)

1598, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing fantastic

• trip the light fantastic

Rhymes for fantastic

• aplastic
• bombastic
• dynastic
• dysplastic
• elastic
• gymnastic
• monastic
• sarcastic
• scholastic
• silastic
• stochastic
• aeroelastic

Kids Definition

fantastic

adjective

fan·​tas·​tic

fan-ˈtas-tik, 

fən-

1

also fantastical

-ti-kəl

: produced by the imagination or like something produced by the imagination

a fantastic scheme

2

: extremely high or great

fantastic speeds

3

: excellent, great

a fantastic meal

fantastically

-ti-k(ə-)lē

adverb

fantasticalness

-kəl-nəs

noun