legendary

adjective

leg·​end·​ary ˈle-jən-ˌder-ē 

-ˌde-rē

1

: of, relating to, or characteristic of legend or a legend

legendary creatures of the sea

2

: well-known, famous

a legendary football player

legendarily

ˌle-jən-ˈder-ə-lē 

-ˈde-rə-

adverb

Synonyms

• fabled
• fabulous
• mythical
• mythic

Choose the Right Synonym for legendary

fictitious, fabulous, legendary, mythical, apocryphal mean having the nature of something imagined or invented.

fictitious implies fabrication and suggests artificiality or contrivance more than deliberate falsification or deception.

fictitious characters

fabulous stresses the marvelous or incredible character of something without necessarily implying impossibility or actual nonexistence.

a land of fabulous riches

legendary suggests the elaboration of invented details and distortion of historical facts produced by popular tradition.

the legendary exploits of Davy Crockett

mythical implies a purely fanciful explanation of facts or the creation of beings and events out of the imagination.

mythical creatures

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

Examples of legendary in a Sentence

legendary creatures from the sea

He is the most legendary football player of his time.

Recent Examples on the Web

Her meticulous research and historical erudition are legendary, and her belief in the magic of fashion is unwavering. —Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 30 Apr. 2025

Like many legendary New Yorkers, Millay came from somewhere else. —A.o. Scott, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025

Agartha, which is big in the occultist canon, refers to the belief in a legendary society within the Earth’s core. —Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 30 Apr. 2025

Listen to this article 5 min Pro wrestling greats Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff teamed up with legendary coach Izzy Martinez to launch Real American Freestyle in hopes of bringing the sport to a mainstream audience as its popularity continues to grow in the United States. —Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 30 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1570, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for legendary

• accessary
• adversary
• ancillary
• arbitrary
• aviary
• axillary
• beriberi
• breviary
• budgetary
• capillary
• catenary
• cautionary

Kids Definition

legendary

adjective

leg·​end·​ary ˈlej-ən-ˌder-ē 

1

: of or resembling a legend

2

: well-known, famous