fabulous

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂-

Proto-Indo-European *-ti

Proto-Indo-European *bʰéh₂ti

Proto-Italic *fāōr

Latin for, fā-

Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlomder.

Latin -bula

Latin fābula

Proto-Indo-European *h₃ed-

Proto-Indo-European *-os

Proto-Indo-European *h₃édosder.?

Proto-Italic *-ŏ̄dsos?

Old Latin -ōssus

Latin -ōsus

Latin fābulōsusder.

Middle English fabulous

English fabulous

From Late Middle English fabulous, fabulose, from Latin fābulōsus (“celebrated in fable”); Equivalent to fable +‎ -ous.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈfæbjʊləs/
• (General American, Canada, Australia) IPA^(key): /ˈfæbjələs/

  • Audio (Connecticut); [ˈfæb.j.ɫəs]:

    (file)

  • Audio (Queensland); [ˈfæb.j.ləs]:

    (file)

Adjective

fabulous (comparative more fabulous, superlative most fabulous)

2. Of or relating to fable, myth or legend.
   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:fabulous.
4. Characteristic of fables; marvelous, extraordinary, incredible.
   • 1949, Joseph Campbell, “The Hero and the God”, in The Hero with a Thousand Faces:

     [F]abulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: […]

   • 1995 November 8, Ed Zuckerman, Morgan Gendel, “Hot Pursuit” (36:59 from the start), in Law & Order, season 6, episode 5, spoken by Executive ADA Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston):

     If every case was clear and easy, Claire, they wouldn't pay us these fabulous salaries.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:fabulous.
6. Fictional or not believable; made up.
   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:fabulous.
8. (obsolete) Known for telling fables or falsehoods; unreliable.
   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:fabulous.
10. (slang) Very good; outstanding, wonderful.
    • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:fabulous.
12. (slang) Camp, effeminate.
    • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:fabulous.
14. (slang) Fashionable, glamorous.
    • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:fabulous.

Usage notes

• In the sense of wonderful, the word is stereotypically associated with gay men. This may be a result of its former usage among valley girls.

Synonyms

• Thesaurus:excellent

Derived terms

• fab
• FAB, F.A.B.
• fabulicious
• fabulize
• fabulous invalid
• fabulously
• fabulousness
• fantabulous
• FOBulous
• ghetto fabulous
• nonfabulous
• semifabulous
• spectabulous
• superfabulous
• uber-fabulous
• ultrafabulous
• unfabulous

Related terms

• fable

Translations

mythical or legendary; incredible

• Armenian: առասպելական (hy) (aṙaspelakan)
• Bulgarian: легендарен (bg) (legendaren)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 传奇式的 (zh), 神话式的 (zh)

• Finnish: tarunomainen
• German: mythisch (de), unglaubhaft, nicht glaubwürdig
• Greek:

  Ancient Greek: μυθώδης (muthṓdēs)

• Indonesian: menakjubkan (id)
• Latvian: pasakains
• Portuguese: fabuloso (pt)
• Romanian: mitic (ro), legendar (ro), incredibil (ro)
• Russian: невероя́тный (ru) (neverojátnyj), необычайный (ru) (neobyčajnyj)
• Spanish: increíble (es), fabuloso (es)
• Swedish: fabulös (sv), sagolik (sv), fantastisk (sv)

of the nature of a fable; unhistorical

• Bulgarian: баснословен (bg) (basnosloven)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 寓言(似)的 (zh)

• Finnish: tarumainen (fi)
• French: fabuleux (fr)
• German: sagenhaft (de), sagenumwoben (de), unhistorisch (de), märchenhaft (de)
• Italian: favoloso (it)
• Latvian: pasakains
• Norman: fabuleux (Jersey)
• Polish: bajeczny (pl)
• Portuguese: fabuloso (pt), fantástico (pt), fabular (pt)
• Romanian: fabulos (ro)
• Russian: сказочный (ru) (skazočnyj), баснословный (ru) (basnoslovnyj)
• Spanish: fantástico (es), fabuloso (es)
• Swedish: sagolik (sv)

extraordinary, especially in being very large

• Bulgarian: преувеличен (bg) (preuveličen)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 非凡 (zh) (fēifán), 了不起 (zh) (liǎobuqǐ)

• Finnish: satumainen (fi) (of riches), mahtava (fi)
• German: sagenhaft (de), außerordentlich (de), außergewöhnlich (de)
• Kyrgyz: легендарлуу (ky) (legendarluu)
• Macedonian: баснословен m (basnosloven)
• Romanian: extraordinar (ro), fabulos (ro)
• Russian: преувеличенный (ru) (preuveličennyj)
• Spanish: extraordinario (es), fabuloso (es)
• Swedish: sagolik (sv), fantastisk (sv)

very good; wonderful

• Bulgarian: чудесен (bg) (čudesen)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 极好 (zh) (jíhǎo)

• Danish: fabelagtig, fantastisk
• Finnish: satumainen (fi)
• German: fabelhaft (de), märchenhaft (de), wunderbar (de)
• Hebrew: נפלא (he) (niflá)
• Italian: favoloso (it)
• Kyrgyz: укмуштуу (ky) (ukmuştuu), сыйкырдуу (ky) (sıykırduu)
• Latvian: pasakains
• Norwegian: fabelaktig (no)
• Polish: bajeczny (pl), bajkowy (pl)
• Portuguese: fabuloso (pt)
• Romanian: foarte bun, extrem de bun
• Russian: потряса́ющий (ru) (potrjasájuščij)
• Spanish: maravilloso (es), fabuloso (es)
• Swedish: fantastisk (sv), underbar (sv), fabulös (sv)
• Turkish: şahane (tr)
• Yiddish: פֿאַנטאַסטיש (fantastish)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• French: ^{(please verify)} fabuleux (fr)
• Norman: ^{(please verify)} fabuleux (Jersey)