legendary

adjective

leg·​end·​ary ˈle-jən-ˌder-ē 

-ˌde-rē

1

: of, relating to, or characteristic of legend or a legend

legendary creatures of the sea

2

: well-known, famous

a legendary football player

legendarily

ˌle-jən-ˈder-ə-lē 

-ˈde-rə-

adverb

Synonyms

• mythic
• mythical

Choose the Right Synonym for legendary

fictitious, fabulous, legendary, mythical, apocryphal mean having the nature of something imagined or invented.

fictitious implies fabrication and suggests artificiality or contrivance more than deliberate falsification or deception.

fictitious characters

fabulous stresses the marvelous or incredible character of something without necessarily implying impossibility or actual nonexistence.

a land of fabulous riches

legendary suggests the elaboration of invented details and distortion of historical facts produced by popular tradition.

the legendary exploits of Davy Crockett

mythical implies a purely fanciful explanation of facts or the creation of beings and events out of the imagination.

mythical creatures

apocryphal implies an unknown or dubious source or origin or may imply that the thing itself is dubious or inaccurate.

a book that repeats many apocryphal stories

Examples of legendary in a Sentence

legendary creatures from the sea

He is the most legendary football player of his time.

Recent Examples on the Web

Inspired by the legendary Oval pocket watch Derek Pratt and Voutilainen made for Urban Jürgensen, the UJ-1 is easily the most impressive of the three (pictured with the caseback on view). —Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 29 June 2025

But the tour will finish in South America, where Oasis will play at the legendary home grounds of River Plate and Sao Paulo. —Michael Cox, New York Times, 29 June 2025

For nature lovers, Le Morne Brabant, the famous peak just across the bay from the resort, and the Black River Gorges National Park are worthy day trip options for some light hiking and taking in the island's legendary sights. —Julie Olum, Travel + Leisure, 29 June 2025

Later iterations include tapestries reflecting the legendary works of artists like Gustav Klimt and William Morris—styles that are still popular in today’s wall hangings. —Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1570, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for legendary

• accessary
• adversary
• ancillary
• arbitrary
• aviary
• axillary
• beriberi
• breviary
• budgetary
• capillary
• catenary
• cautionary

Kids Definition

legendary

adjective

leg·​end·​ary ˈlej-ən-ˌder-ē 

1

: of or resembling a legend

2

: well-known, famous