fabulous
adjective
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The Meaning of Fabulous Before It Meant ‘Great’
Most of us use the word fabulous in an entirely positive sense, with the meaning “wonderful” or “marvelous.” This is an entirely acceptable way to use the word, but it is by no means the sense that fabulous had when it entered the English language: its original meaning was “characteristic of fables” (a fable is “an invented tale”). In that sense, "the fabulous legends of Arabia" refers to legends based upon fable rather than notably excellent legends. The semantic drift that fabulous has undergone is not at all uncommon in language, and we see comparable developments in words of similar in meaning. Fantastic previously meant “of, belonging to, or constituting fantasy”; awesome initially had the sole meaning “expressive of awe” (and many people wish that it still did); and terrific meant “terrible, terrifying” long before it meant “splendid.”
Examples of fabulous in a Sentence
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2024
Racing went to São Paulo and took the lead within minutes, scoring brilliant goals with two fabulous finishes in Brazil.
—Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
This simply fabulous Athleta jumpsuit checks all the boxes and then some.
—Lauren Bonney, Travel + Leisure, 4 Nov. 2024
But the most fabulous outfits were restyled from the February show’s runway.
—Violet Goldstone, WWD, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fabulous 
Dictionary Entries Near fabulous
Cite this Entry
“Fabulous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fabulous. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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fabulous
adjective
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