the stuff of legend
phrase
variants
or less commonly the stuff of legends
1
: someone or something that is told about in legend
Dragons are still the stuff of legend. But in Slovenia, a bizarre, cave-dwelling … salamander serves as a worthy, real-life stand-in.—Olivia Lowenberg
2
: someone or something that is very famous or memorable
… Janet Weiss is the greatest rock drummer on Earth. She's elevated all the bands she's played with—but her long-running musical bond with Sleater-Kinney over the years has been the stuff of legend.—Rob Sheffield
For those of us who ran around in it, the blizzard of '78 was the stuff of legend, an unrelenting force of nature that smacked Boston upside the head for about a week.—Bob Flaherty
The contest between ruling authorities and peasants over whether or not martyrs would be commemorated could itself become the stuff of legends.—Anne Walthall
Cite this Entry
“The stuff of legend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20stuff%20of%20legend. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
