mythical

adjective

myth·​i·​cal ˈmi-thi-kəl 

variants or mythic

ˈmi-thik 

1

: based on or described in a myth especially as contrasted with history

2

usually mythical : existing only in the imagination : fictitious, imaginary

constructed a mythical all-star team

3

usually mythic : having qualities suitable to myth : legendary

the twilight of a mythic professional career

—Clayton Riley

mythically

ˈmi-thi-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Synonyms

• fabled
• fabulous
• legendary

Choose the Right Synonym for mythical

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 mythical in a Sentence

Hercules was a mythical hero who was half man and half god.

gods fighting in a mythical battle in the sky

The sportswriters picked a mythical all-star team.

The benefits of the new policy proved to be mythical.

Recent Examples on the Web

Iñaki Godoy stars in the series Monkey D. Luffy, who sails the world with his ragtag crew in search of the mythical One Piece treasure to become the King of the Pirates. —Joe Otterson, Variety, 23 Apr. 2024

From ogres to faeries to unicorns (oh my!), there is certainly no shortage of mythical creatures popping up around the Spiderwick estate in the newest television adaptation of Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black’s beloved fantasy series. —EW.com, 20 Apr. 2024

Just outside the doors of a nondescript grocery, a goblin market trades in mythical weapons and pumpkin spice lattes. —Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Apr. 2024

This scruffy but finely nuanced drama follows an unusual group of characters: four Sasquatches—mythical beings better known singly, as Bigfoot—making their way through the forests of the Pacific Northwest in the course of a year. —Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2024

Marche du Nain Rouge The streets of Detroit's Cass Corridor will be alive with vibrant colors, music, storytelling and celebration Sunday as the community gathers to confront and banish the mythical Nain Rouge, symbolizing the expulsion of negativity from the city. —Brendel Hightower, Detroit Free Press, 21 Mar. 2024

My job is to look at this with fresh eyes and to be critical of this material without carrying the burden of holding up the mythical kind of nature of Fallout as a game. —Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 4 Apr. 2024

Imagine a fantasy writer conjuring visuals of their mythical creatures or a fashion designer experimenting with different garment styles. —Ian Shepherd, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024

Tatiana wore a lace gown with a hooded veil by Giambattista Valli, inspired by the mythical concept of a snow queen. —Elise Taylor, Vogue, 27 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

mythical, from Late Latin mȳthicus "of myth, legendary" (borrowed from Greek mȳthikós, from mŷthos "utterance, tale, myth" + -ikos -ic entry 1) + -al entry 1; mythic, borrowed from Late Latin mȳthicus

First Known Use

1610, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

mythical

adjective

myth·​i·​cal ˈmith-i-kəl 

variants or mythic

ˈmith-ik 

1

: based on, described in, or being a myth

Hercules is a mythical hero

2

: existing only in the imagination : imaginary

the author created a mythical town

mythically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb