variants also fantastical
Definition of fantasticnext
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Synonym Chooser

How is the word fantastic different from other adjectives like it?

The words bizarre and grotesque are common synonyms of fantastic. While all three words 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

When is it sensible to use bizarre instead of fantastic?

The meanings of bizarre and fantastic largely overlap; however, 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

Where would grotesque be a reasonable alternative to fantastic?

Although the words grotesque and fantastic have much in common, 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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fantastic Each morning, simply fantastic sunrise yoga is offered on the beach. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Aug. 2026 There’s the giant deli counter, filled with salads and hot dishes from around Eastern Europe, shelves of cakes and fantastical desserts, and a cafe that serves everything from burgers to blini. Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 19 Aug. 2026 Sam O’Reilly is a fantastic, highly competitive center, and Conor Geekie brings size and skill down the middle. Corey Pronman, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026 Just as the geeky navel-gazing threatens to become tedious, a joke or a wink keeps the audience laughing and focused on the fantastical story Schoenbrun actually wants to tell—which isn’t a genuine slasher at all. Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fantastic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fantastic
Adjective
  • But Ecuadorian authorities have remained mostly silent about the bizarre incidents.
    Michael Rios, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Bobby’s color palette is bizarre, and her idea of a sash that transforms into a shawl scarf is really cool but executed poorly.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Lucas was convicted of fatally shooting a 16-year-old girl who rejected his romantic advances and wounding two of her friends.
    CBS News, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
  • This gorgeous night dress will keep you cool in the summer, and features a romantic lace trim, round neckline, and luminous shell buttons.
    Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 17 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Anything seemed possible in medical science breakthroughs, from repairing a fictional astronaut to reconstructing a real-life ulnar collateral ligament (UCL).
    Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The fictional microstate Elgaland-Vargaland begins as an artistic game but evolves into a powerful lens on borders and identity.
    Leo Barraclough, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Spread across four floors (including an incredible rooftop terrace), this is a spacious home located in the center of Essaouira’s medina and its art galleries.
    Katie Silcox, Vogue, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Then that incredible precision vanished for an inning — and just an inning.
    Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • There’s this wonderful character in the book, Lucky’s childhood friend [Steph].
    Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Toronto is a wonderful city, and this will be a Saturday night game featuring Sidney Crosby in the place for hockey.
    Josh Yohe, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • There has been something almost absurd about Ferran Torres’ summer.
    Laia Cervelló Herrero, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • SpaceX’s Starlink constellation currently performs an average of 1,000 maneuvers a day to dodge potential collisions, a number that would have seemed absurd just a decade ago.
    Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 18 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Other researchers used the theory to derive Navier-Stokes analogues for exotic states of matter, like fracton matter.
    Charlie Wood, Quanta Magazine, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The exotic animals live on a private ranch owned by the Seeno family, longtime developers and home builders.
    Joan Morris, Mercury News, 17 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Just before the pandemic, Manhattan’s MCC Theater staged a show called All the Natalie Portmans, about a gay Black teenage cinephile who envisions the actor as a kind of manic pixie imaginary friend.
    Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Near the end of the story, Gardner pledges to kill his imaginary son to spare him war’s toll, but backs out upon his wish to be transformed into a noble soldier.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Fantastic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fantastic. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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