MYTHICAL Synonyms: 90 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'mythical' distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of mythical are apocryphal , fabulous , fictitious , and legendary . While all these words mean "having the nature of something imagined or invented," mythical implies a purely fanciful explanation of facts or the creation of beings and events out of the imagination. // mythical creatures

Q: When is 'apocryphal' a more appropriate choice than 'mythical'?

In some situations, the words apocryphal and mythical are roughly equivalent. However, 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

Q: In what contexts can 'fabulous' take the place of 'mythical'?

While in some cases nearly identical to mythical , fabulous stresses the marvelous or incredible character of something without necessarily implying impossibility or actual nonexistence. // a land of fabulous riches

Q: When might 'fictitious' be a better fit than 'mythical'?

While the synonyms fictitious and mythical are close in meaning, fictitious implies fabrication and suggests artificiality or contrivance more than deliberate falsification or deception. // fictitious characters

Q: When can 'legendary' be used instead of 'mythical'?

The words legendary and mythical can be used in similar contexts, but legendary suggests the elaboration of invented details and distortion of historical facts produced by popular tradition. // the legendary exploits of Davy Crockett

mythical

adjective

ˈmi-thi-kəl

variants or mythic

Definition of mythical

as in legendary

based on, described in, or being a myth for years the Spanish conquistadors searched for the mythical El Dorado, a place of unimaginable riches

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in imaginary

not real and existing only in the imagination the mythical unicorn

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word mythical distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of mythical are apocryphal, fabulous, fictitious, and legendary. While all these words mean "having the nature of something imagined or invented," mythical implies a purely fanciful explanation of facts or the creation of beings and events out of the imagination.

mythical creatures

When is apocryphal a more appropriate choice than mythical?

In some situations, the words apocryphal and mythical are roughly equivalent. However, 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

In what contexts can fabulous take the place of mythical?

While in some cases nearly identical to mythical, fabulous stresses the marvelous or incredible character of something without necessarily implying impossibility or actual nonexistence.

a land of fabulous riches

When might fictitious be a better fit than mythical?

While the synonyms fictitious and mythical are close in meaning, fictitious implies fabrication and suggests artificiality or contrivance more than deliberate falsification or deception.

fictitious characters

When can legendary be used instead of mythical?

The words legendary and mythical can be used in similar contexts, but legendary suggests the elaboration of invented details and distortion of historical facts produced by popular tradition.

the legendary exploits of Davy Crockett

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of mythical That’s the picture Callidus Hospitality paints of the semi-mythical namesake of their new spot, Bar Phoebe. — Jenna Thompson june 26, Kansas City Star, 26 June 2026 Then there’s the mythic highway – a cultural icon imbued with nostalgia for a specific, 20th-century idea of romance, adventure, freedom and the American West. — Daniel Milowski, The Conversation, 29 June 2026 Not to be outdone, Nintendo released a console of their own, the GameCube, which was a little underappreciated in its heyday, but has reached almost mythical status with the passage of time. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 26 June 2026 Based on the ancient epic poem by Homer, the film stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, the king of Ithaca whose 10-year-long journey home after fighting in the Trojan War is marked by numerous encounters with mythical beings. — David MacK, CNN Money, 28 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for mythical

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mythical

Adjective

Ronaldo, 41, one of the most legendary scorers in the history of soccer, burst into tears, soaking up the final moments of the game.

— Jane Onyanga-Omara, USA Today, 7 July 2026
The film is Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s epic poem, following the legendary Greek king Odysseus on his perilous journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War.

— Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 6 July 2026

Definition of legendary

Adjective

Hop aboard an imaginary Vespa, or perhaps a high-speed train eastward to the boot country, where not every meal comes blistering out of a brick oven or ladled from a bubbling pot.

— Catharine Kaufman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 July 2026
Some rehearse using a bedpan — placing it in the right spot, cleaning out the imaginary contents.

— Elissa Nadworny, NPR, 30 June 2026

Definition of imaginary

Adjective

Days later, Kelce tried and failed to give her a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it at her Kansas City show, the first domino to fall in the couple’s fabled romance.

— Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 2 July 2026
Despite the defeat, though, Brazil remained the most fabled team of that World Cup, and were called the greatest national team ever by Pep Guardiola.

— Michael Cox, New York Times, 1 July 2026

Definition of fabled

Adjective

Aside from the fictional King Kong, who first appeared in a 1933 film atop the skyscraper, others in real life legally — and illegally — climbed the famous skyscraper.

— Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 2 July 2026
In honor of The Bear’s final season, Jono Pandolfi’s signature white and toasted clay dinnerware (featured in the fictional restaurant) is 15% off.

— Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 1 July 2026

Definition of fictional

Adjective

The book traces the fictitious Yeoman family’s evolution over generations from self-sufficient homesteaders to participants in global markets.

— Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 23 June 2026
Hosting its usual presentation at its headquarters, located a stone’s throw from San Babila square, the brand installed video walls that broadcast a fictitious runway show created with the help of AI.

— Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 22 June 2026

Definition of fictitious

Adjective

Peter [Merry] likes to use is that, when a caterpillar is becoming a butterfly, new ‘imaginal cells’ emerge.

— Big Think, Big Think, 7 Aug. 2025
With one technique, for example—called imaginal exposure—you might be asked to visualize the process of going to the airport, boarding the plane, and experiencing a bad bout of turbulence.

— Angela Haupt, TIME, 10 May 2024

Definition of imaginal

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“Mythical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mythical. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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