variants also fantastical
1
2
3
4
5

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 This is a fantastic day for creative activity or exploring any talent that involves using your imagination or spidey sense. Georgia Nicols, The Denver Post, 19 Mar. 2025 Rock plays multiple roles; J.B. Smoove and Wanda Sykes round out a fantastic supporting cast. Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 19 Mar. 2025 Expect to wrestle with the grim power of propaganda and the dangerous riddle of just what is real, in what is surely a work of fantastic escapism … right? Colin Dwyer, NPR, 18 Mar. 2025 Will Arnett does fantastic voice work as the title character, the star of a ‘90s sitcom who is struggling to find his way back to the spotlight. Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fantastic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fantastic
Adjective
  • The esoteric will never sit completely comfortably in the mainstream, because that’s the point of it: to be unusual, bizarre, absurd.
    Eliza Goodpasture, ARTnews.com, 18 Mar. 2025
  • The Big Read The Story Of Climate-Friendly Digital Bank Aspiration Just Got Stranger The fintech industry has seen its fair share of spectacular failures and bizarre plot twists in recent years.
    Alan Ohnsman, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • In this mostly fictional version, the reclusive Omara has to decide whether or not to come back from retirement and record with her old colleagues from the fervent Cuban years, thus confronting those ghosts.
    Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 20 Mar. 2025
  • Here are our 25 favorite pairs of fictional best friends from movies and TV.
    Kevin Jacobsen, EW.com, 19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Sir Elton has exemplified these ideals throughout his extraordinary career, not only with his incredible musical catalogue and immense talent but also championing emerging artists across genres and using his global platform to inspire transformational humanistic change.
    Paul Grein, Billboard, 20 Mar. 2025
  • Kentucky, 2014:UConn knows all about beating an 8-seed that went on an incredible run through the tournament.
    Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • It is skillfully constructed and builds to a wonderful climax.
    Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Mar. 2025
  • His leadership by example, his accomplishments on the field, his love of family, his service to our community and his dedication to excellence all herald his standing as a remarkable athlete and wonderful human being.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Medina’s fanciful dog costumes mostly combine monochrome onesies with patches and other accessories for a cheery array of colors, while MC Dog’s costume nods to traditional Latin American patterns and Hattie’s hot pink look is accented with ruffles and glitter.
    Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 19 Mar. 2025
  • What is meant to be fanciful can feel tedious at times.
    Elizabeth Toohey, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The other dining option is Sila, where food is displayed buffet style but served by a marvelous crew, on custom porcelain from the French brand Pillivuyt.
    Paul Brady, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2025
  • Ottawa, Canada May is great for: blooming marvelous celebrations of decades-long friendship.
    Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Unlike the more familiar real numbers – positive and negative integers, fractions, square roots, cube roots and even numbers such as pi – complex numbers have an imaginary component.
    William Ross, The Conversation, 10 Mar. 2025
  • The system that most captured his imagination was an imaginary device that had launched the field of computer science, the Turing machine.
    Charlie Wood, Quanta Magazine, 7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • After an excellent debut, Nikki Glaser has unsurprisingly been tapped to host the Golden Globes again.
    Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2025
  • It is often climbed as a three day objective and is an excellent venue for extended roped glacier travel.
    Sean McNally, Outdoor Life, 13 Mar. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fantastic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fantastic. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on fantastic

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!