legendary

adjective

leg·​end·​ary ˈle-jən-ˌder-ē How to pronounce legendary (audio)
-ˌde-rē
Synonyms of legendary
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 How to pronounce legendary (audio)
-ˈde-rə-
adverb

Synonyms of legendary

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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
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.
Sets and props from Mendes' movies will create versions of Liverpool’s Cavern Club, where the band got its start; the famous Abbey Road studios in London; and Shea Stadium, the site of their legendary 1965 performance. — ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026 Two months ago, legendary NASCAR driver and longtime Fox Sports broadcaster Darrell Waltrip stepped away from public life at age 79 because of a progressive brain disease. — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026 Because New York is only as great as its citizens, and that means continuing its legendary diversity—not just racial and ethnic but also economic diversity. — Gary Shteyngart, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Oct. 2026 Curtis introduced the evening’s first presenter, Robert Rodriguez, who presented legendary filmmaker and composer John Carpenter with the Luminary Award. — Vanity Fair, 18 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for legendary

Word History

First Known Use

1570, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of legendary was in 1570

Rhymes for legendary

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Browse Nearby Words

legendarily
legendary
legendist
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Cite this Entry

“Legendary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legendary. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

legendary

adjective
leg·​end·​ary ˈlej-ən-ˌder-ē How to pronounce legendary (audio)
1
: of or resembling a legend
2
: well-known, famous
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