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Synonym Chooser

How is the word mythical distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of mythical are apocryphal, fabulous, fictitious, and legendary. While all these words mean "having the nature of something imagined or invented," mythical implies a purely fanciful explanation of facts or the creation of beings and events out of the imagination.

mythical creatures

When is apocryphal a more appropriate choice than mythical?

In some situations, the words apocryphal and mythical are roughly equivalent. However, 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

In what contexts can fabulous take the place of mythical?

While in some cases nearly identical to mythical, fabulous stresses the marvelous or incredible character of something without necessarily implying impossibility or actual nonexistence.

a land of fabulous riches

When might fictitious be a better fit than mythical?

While the synonyms fictitious and mythical are close in meaning, fictitious implies fabrication and suggests artificiality or contrivance more than deliberate falsification or deception.

fictitious characters

When can legendary be used instead of mythical?

The words legendary and mythical can be used in similar contexts, but legendary suggests the elaboration of invented details and distortion of historical facts produced by popular tradition.

the legendary exploits of Davy Crockett

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 mythical Here the risk was in creating a mythical fictional mountain town, Gethsemane, in seventeenth century Cabo Verde. Irenosen Okojie july 11, Literary Hub, 11 July 2025 Its mythical story left an indelible mark on my mind. Noel Burgess, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025 Opened in 2020, the museum features interactive exhibits dedicated to the mythical sea creature. Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 13 July 2025 The oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies made by camp co-owner Tweety Eastland took on mythical status at the camp in Hunt. Matthew Odam, Austin American Statesman, 12 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for mythical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mythical
Adjective
  • Wednesday, of course, is a member of the creepy and kooky and altogether ooky Addams Family, who were born of the imagination of legendary New Yorker cartoonist Charles Addams in a series of cartoons.
    Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
  • Rahaman Ali passed away this weekend at 82 years old, just a little over 9 years after his legendary older brother, Muhammad Ali, died.
    Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Over the decades, thousands of treasure hunters have ventured into the rugged canyons—some even losing their lives—in pursuit of the fabled fortune.
    Thomas Westerholm, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 July 2025
  • What makes this example so special is that it was frequently driven by fabled Formula 1 racer Ayrton Senna.
    Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 28 July 2025
Adjective
  • From brooms and mops to wooden dress-up sets with magnets to dollhouses and animal playsets, Melissa & Doug have lots of choices of pretend play toys.
    BestReviews, Mercury News, 4 Aug. 2025
  • That’s the process by which the White House arrived at the pretend tariff rate of 67 percent, which the Chinese government hypothetically applies to U.S. exports.
    Robert Goulder, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025
Adjective
  • Richardson was the 4th overall pick in the NFL Draft, which should give him another opportunity to start over Daniel Jones and also showcase his unreal upside.
    Steve Bradshaw, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
  • Victoria Falls is such an incredibly special and beautiful place, so to be so completely surrounded by and immersed in the falls was unreal.
    Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025
Adjective
  • Not even the imaginary zenith of human civilization can overpower nature forever.
    Devan Coggan, EW.com, 1 Aug. 2025
  • Lewis claimed that this is just an imaginary relationship.
    Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 28 July 2025
Adjective
  • The main song Golden has topped the Billboard 100 and together the songs of fictional bands HUNTR/X and Saja Boys have beat a billion streams across Spotify and YouTube.
    Amy Sterling, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025
  • Nearly two decades ago, Miley Cyrus took on the persona of fictional superstar Hannah Montana.
    Allison Kiehl, The Tennessean, 30 July 2025
Adjective
  • The End Continues is the fourth actual album from the fictitious band Spinal Tap.
    Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 31 July 2025
  • The scam duped investors into putting money into a fictitious development project in Sullivan County, New York, called the Thompson Education Center, or the TEC Project.
    Dan Mangan, CNBC, 30 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Mythical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mythical. Accessed 8 Aug. 2025.

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