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 During the 2026 racing season, a fantastic filly named Counting Stars has been quite celestial and is shining as bright as any three-year-old currently, regardless of gender. Danny Brewer, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 The business of Bourdain-ing a fantastic hole-in-the-wall restaurant has been taken over by influencers (to mixed results). Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 July 2026 Mistakes to Avoid Using yogurt to introduce beneficial microbes and calcium to your soil is a fantastic way to improve your tomatoes’ health. Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 29 July 2026 Think of it as a fantastical journey inside the athlete's head. Chloe Veltman, NPR, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for fantastic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fantastic
Adjective
  • Whatever ends up coming for Alpha, with their TV fragmented into a billion tiny screens, it’s bound to be bizarre.
    Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Former Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Harrison Bader's San Francisco Giants season has ended prematurely due to a bizarre scooter accident.
    Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • The romantic gesture set off a trend and from around 1790 to 1830, miniature artists began to house these tiny eyes in jewels as precious keepsakes.
    Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Patrick Doyle wrote the MCU’s most romantic orchestral score.
    EW Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • It is set in Mano Majra, a fictional village on the new frontier between India and Pakistan, where Sikh and Muslim families have lived together peacefully for generations.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026
  • Joanne Miller is a fictional agent who in the film leads the manhunt for the adult Ted and uses the words in the Unabomber’s manifesto to track him down.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 29 July 2026
Adjective
  • The navy and green color scheme is incredible and is otherwise completely absent from the visual history of this hockey team.
    The Athletic NHL Staff, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The genus Labisia has some mind-blowing, incredible colors and patterns.
    Dr. Matthew Lisy, Hartford Courant, 1 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Start with the escargot, which pack a wonderful buttery, garlicky punch, each bite topped with a perfect, tiny puff pastry.
    Connie Ogle July 31, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026
  • The combination of David’s wonderful scripts, Lenny back directing on the BBC, Element Pictures producing, and Claire and Mathew leading our cast is a real gift.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 30 July 2026
Adjective
  • Open the requisition on a Monday and the number is already absurd.
    Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • Their air of slightly absurd quasi-spontaneity is nicely amplified by the jittery yet unobtrusive rhythms of the direction and Yost’s editing.
    Dennis Harvey, Variety, 28 July 2026
Adjective
  • Outside of cartoon land, however, the notion of boarding an exotic new flying machine—particularly one not yet certified by the Federal Aviation Administration—might not reassure a wary public.
    Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2026
  • The band’s lo-fi sound and intermittent lush orchestrations felt exotic but somehow warm — the Irish counterpart to another contemporaneous example of the form, Scotland’s Belle and Sebastian.
    Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 3 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Other use cases for Google Earth’s image generation include visualizing future or imaginary projects.
    Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 31 July 2026
  • For years, Ryan Coogler, Chadwick Boseman and Marvel Comics have brought to the world Wakanda, an imaginary African nation powerful enough to control its resources, protect its culture and build its future without the rest of the world’s permission.
    Richard Fowler, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Fantastic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fantastic. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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