the stuff of legend

phrase

variants or less commonly the stuff of legends

1

: someone or something that is told about in legend

Dragons are still the stuff of legend. But in Slovenia, a bizarre, cave-dwelling … salamander serves as a worthy, real-life stand-in.

—Olivia Lowenberg

2

: someone or something that is very famous or memorable

… Janet Weiss is the greatest rock drummer on Earth. She's elevated all the bands she's played with—but her long-running musical bond with Sleater-Kinney over the years has been the stuff of legend.

—Rob Sheffield

For those of us who ran around in it, the blizzard of '78 was the stuff of legend, an unrelenting force of nature that smacked Boston upside the head for about a week.

—Bob Flaherty

The contest between ruling authorities and peasants over whether or not martyrs would be commemorated could itself become the stuff of legends.

—Anne Walthall

Examples of the stuff of legend in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Fox’s pace of play is the stuff of legend in professional golf circles. — Gabby Herzig, New York Times, 20 July 2026

After all, nautical exploits on more dedicated vessels are the stuff of legend. — Jp Brammer, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 July 2026

What came next is the stuff of legend. — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 27 Mar. 2026

The Continental Army’s winter encampment at Valley Forge, between December 1777 and June 1778, is the stuff of legend. — Cian T. McMahon, The Conversation, 11 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1919, in the meaning defined at sense 1