Definition of phenomenalnext
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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective phenomenal contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of phenomenal are corporeal, material, objective, physical, and sensible. While all these words mean "of or belonging to actuality," phenomenal applies to what is known or perceived through the senses rather than by intuition or rational deduction.

scientists concerned with the phenomenal world

When would corporeal be a good substitute for phenomenal?

Although the words corporeal and phenomenal have much in common, corporeal implies having the tangible qualities of a body such as shape, size, or resistance to force.

artists have portrayed angels as corporeal beings

When could material be used to replace phenomenal?

The synonyms material and phenomenal are sometimes interchangeable, but material implies formation out of tangible matter; used in contrast with spiritual or ideal it may connote the mundane, crass, or grasping.

material values

When is objective a more appropriate choice than phenomenal?

The meanings of objective and phenomenal largely overlap; however, objective may stress material or independent existence apart from a subject perceiving it.

no objective evidence of damage

When is it sensible to use physical instead of phenomenal?

The words physical and phenomenal are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, physical applies to what is perceived directly by the senses and may contrast with mental, spiritual, or imaginary.

the physical benefits of exercise

In what contexts can sensible take the place of phenomenal?

While the synonyms sensible and phenomenal are close in meaning, sensible stresses the capability of readily or forcibly impressing the senses.

the earth's rotation is not sensible to us

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 phenomenal The two Lucha Libre giants turned back the clock to deliver a phenomenal performance. Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 17 Apr. 2026 Maria Dizzia is uncanny, phenomenal. Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026 That is a phenomenal deal, because that means the small business around the entertainment district, and everybody else, has now 30 more years of having the Cowboys here in Tarrant County and the Cowboys here in Arlington. Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Apr. 2026 Meteor showers can put on a spectacular show when seen with the naked eye, but also make for a phenomenal photographic target. Anthony Wood, Space.com, 9 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for phenomenal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phenomenal
Adjective
  • Her appointment was agreed at an extraordinary meeting Monday of the festival’s executive board, made up of San Sebastián City Council, the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa, the Basque Government and the Spanish Ministry of Culture.
    Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 27 Apr. 2026
  • And yet many were created with extraordinary artistic ambition.
    Sudhir Gupta, Rolling Stone, 27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • And typing and talking have both been automated to a superhuman level by AI.
    Jacqueline Munis, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
  • Sure, injuries could change things, or maybe there is some sort of superhuman game that a guy has to at least give the other team a bit of hope.
    David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • About one-fifth of the state is in exceptional drought, the highest level of drought designation.
    Irene Wright, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Set in the late 1980s, the film follows 13-year-old Felice (an exceptional Tiziano Menichelli), a budding tennis star whose overbearing father hooks him up with Raul Getti (Favino), a flameout former pro with a new lithium prescription and a serious ladies-man streak.
    Zac Ntim, Deadline, 29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • His gift is an uncanny ability to solve crimes that leave the LAPD baffled, armed only with the savvy and dry humor reminiscent of the gumshoe detectives of the noir genre.
    Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Cameras now deploy ever higher frame rates, as seen in the uncanny sheen of blockbusters by James Cameron and Peter Jackson, and films are shot, shown, and restored on ever higher resolutions (4K, 8K, and beyond).
    Dennis Lim, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • The barbed fact is that the woman caught in the middle of this unusual male arrangement benefits from none of their newfound emotional enlightenment.
    Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2026
  • Trent Richardson and Saquon Barkley are the only running backs who have been drafted in the top three picks in the last two decades of the NFL draft, but Jeremiyah Love joins that group as the Cardinals take the unusual move of drafting a back this high.
    Andrew Greif, NBC news, 24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • The sightings, while very much real, are still miraculous.
    Hannah Towey, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Apr. 2026
  • Penny had the miraculous fortune to be matched with Commander Judd, who is only two or three times her age.
    Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Snitker’s story is unique even in a sport that invites unprecedented journeys.
    Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 26 Apr. 2026
  • Many of those values are grounded in the idea—axiomatic for Christians—that human beings have a unique dignity and worth.
    Elias Wachtel, The Atlantic, 25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • There, the cast also took time to help Thomas learn the wand dance that is seen on stage, which is supposed to show how the new students at the magical school are learning how to operate their wands.
    Dillon Thomas, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
  • Mount Fuji’s westerly location means that clear nights offer spectacular sunsets, the sun dipping behind the peak, but sunrise is equally as magical, when the first rays cast their light on the cone.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Phenomenal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phenomenal. Accessed 1 May. 2026.

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