fantastic
/fænˈtæstɪk/ (bre, ipa) · /fænˈtæstɪk/ (ame, ipa) · /fan-ˈta-stik fən-/ (ame, mw)
fantastic — adjective
- fantasticpositive
- more fantasticcomparative
- most fantasticsuperlative
1. much better, more enjoyable, or more impressive than what you would normally exp
much better, more enjoyable, or more impressive than what you would normally expect; of very high quality.
We had a fantastic time at the beach — the weather was perfect and the water was warm.
collocation: fantastic time
The pasta at that little place near Lauren's flat was absolutely fantastic.
collocation: absolutely fantastic
Renata got a fantastic job offer from a design company in Berlin.
It was fantastic to see everyone at Minho's wedding after so many years apart.
Camila's piano performance was fantastic — the whole audience stood up to clap.
文法句型
fantastic + noun
be + fantastic
fantastic + infinitive (it's fantastic to...)
用法筆記
This sense is extremely common in informal spoken and written English. In formal or academic writing, alternatives such as 'excellent,' 'outstanding,' or 'remarkable' are generally preferred.
常見錯誤
2. based on imagination or fantasy rather than anything that exists in the real wor
based on imagination or fantasy rather than anything that exists in the real world; created from pure invention.
This animated film shows a fantastic world where animals talk and trees move at night.
collocation: fantastic world
Dario's moon hotel plan was called a fantastic idea that could never be built.
Old sailors tell tales of fantastic sea monsters and islands that appear at dawn.
Rania wrote a fantastic novel about a hidden kingdom beneath the ocean floor.
- imaginary
more direct and neutral; lacks the creative or adventurous flavour of 'fantastic'
- mythical
suggests connection to ancient myths or legends
- make-believe
informal; common when talking about children's play or stories
文法句型
fantastic + noun (creature, world, story, tale)
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: sense 2 describes something that belongs in a fantasy (unreal), whereas sense 1 describes something of excellent quality (real). A 'fantastic movie' in sense 1 means it is very good; in sense 2 it would mean the movie is about imaginary things.
3. so unusual or surprising that it is hard to accept as true or plausible; beyond
so unusual or surprising that it is hard to accept as true or plausible; beyond what seems normal or believable.
It sounds fantastic that a stranger would pay for her flight, but it really happened.
pattern: it sounds fantastic that...
The rumour about the principal joining a rock band was too fantastic to believe.
Adina told a fantastic story about getting lost in the Tokyo subway for eight hours.
Christopher saw a fantastic sight on his morning run — a flamingo on a car roof.
- incredible
emphasises disbelief; common in both positive and negative contexts
- unbelievable
stronger than 'fantastic'; suggests outright refusal to believe
- outlandish
more negative; implies something is absurdly strange
- ordinary
normal and expected; the opposite of surprising
- believable
easy to accept as true
文法句型
it sounds / seems + fantastic + that-clause
fantastic + noun (story, claim, rumour)
用法筆記
This sense sits between senses 2 and 5. Unlike sense 2, the thing described here could be real but is so unlikely that people doubt it. Unlike sense 5, it does not necessarily involve odd personal style or appearance.
4. used before nouns of quantity to mean surprisingly or impressively big; much lar
used before nouns of quantity to mean surprisingly or impressively big; much larger than usual or expected.
The company spent a fantastic amount of money renovating the old train station downtown.
collocation: fantastic amount of
Vikram bought a fantastic number of books — his whole flat was stacked with them.
collocation: fantastic number of
Élise earned a fantastic salary at the tech firm and bought a house after two years.
The library holds a fantastic number of ancient Ming dynasty manuscripts.
文法句型
fantastic + noun (amount, sum, number)
5. strikingly unusual in appearance, design, or behaviour to the point of seeming o
strikingly unusual in appearance, design, or behaviour to the point of seeming odd or extravagant; driven by wild imagination rather than conventional taste.
The architect designed a fantastic house with zigzag walls and a wavy purple roof.
collocation: fantastic design
Felix wore a fantastic feathered hat covered in tiny lights to the party.
The painter's later works became more fantastic, filled with melting clocks and floating eyes.
Kemi's grandmother knitted a fantastic scarf twelve metres long and shaped like a snake.
- conventional
following accepted standards; the opposite of eccentric
- ordinary
plain and not unusual in any way
文法句型
fantastic + noun (design, outfit, building, character)
用法筆記
This sense is more common in literary or art criticism than in everyday conversation. It overlaps partly with sense 3 but focuses specifically on eccentricity in visual style or personal expression rather than on how surprising an event is.
fantastic — noun
1. a person whose appearance, behaviour, or way of thinking is strikingly unconvent
a person whose appearance, behaviour, or way of thinking is strikingly unconventional and often regarded as odd by others.
The man who plays opera music from his bicycle is regarded as a local fantastic.
pattern: considered / regarded as a fantastic
The village art club is full of fantasics who wear mismatched clothes and speak in riddles.
Every Friday the town's fantasics gather in the park to discuss their inventions.
Her uncle is a gentle fantastic who repairs broken clocks with bottle caps.
- conformist
someone who follows social norms without question
文法句型
a + fantastic
(plural) fantastic / fantasics
用法筆記
This noun is very rare in modern English. It appears mostly in literary or humorous contexts, and the plural is sometimes written as 'fantastics' or 'fantasics.' The adjective senses of 'fantastic' are far more common.