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fantastic

adjective

  1. involving an element of fantasy, unbelievable
  2. extremely skilled at
  3. generally wonderful
  4. extremely beneficial, healthful
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Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /fænˈtæs.tɪk/ / [fanˈtʰas.tɪk(ʰ)] / [fɛə̯nˈtʰæs.tɪk(ʰ)]

adj

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂-der. Proto-Hellenic *pʰáňňō Ancient Greek φαίνω (phaínō) Ancient Greek φαντάζω (phantázō) Proto-Indo-European *-tis Ancient Greek -τις (-tis) Ancient Greek -σῐς (-sĭs) Proto-Indo-European *-kos Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) ? Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Hellenic *-tós Ancient Greek -τος (-tos) ▲ Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) ? Ancient Greek -τικός (-tikós) Ancient Greek φανταστικός (phantastikós)bor. Late Latin phantasticusbor. Middle French fantastiquebor. English fantastic Borrowed from Middle French fantastique, borrowed from Late Latin phantasticus, borrowed from Ancient Greek φᾰντᾰστῐκός (phăntăstĭkós, “imaginary, fantastic; fictional”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- (“to shine”). Equivalent to fantasy + -tic. Doublet of fantastique.

  1. Wonderful; marvelous; excellent; extraordinarily good or great (used especially as an intensifier).

    "I had a simply fantastic vacation, and I can't wait to tell you all about it!"

  2. Existing in or constructed from fantasy; of or relating to fantasy; fanciful.

    He told fantastic stories of dragons and goblins.

    His fantastic post-college plans had all collapsed within a year of graduation.

  3. Given to fanciful ideas, impulsive; irrational.

    She was a frightened fool, and she was fantastic, and I suppose that, at that time, she really cared for that imbecile.

  4. Not believable; implausible; seemingly only possible in fantasy.

    And indeed, when in the writings of Paracelſus I meet with ſuch Phantaſtick and Un-intelligible Diſcourſes as that Writer often puzzels and tyres his Reader with, father'd upon ſuch excellent Experiments, as though he ſeldom clearly teaches, I often find he knew ; me thinks the Chymiſts, in their ſearches after truth, are not unlike the Navigators of Solomons Tarſhiſh Fleet, who brought home from their long and tedious Voyages, not only Gold, and Silver, and Ivory, but Apes and Peacocks too ; For ſo the Writings of ſeveral (for I ſay not, all) of your Hermetick Philoſophers preſent us, together with divers Subſtantial and noble Experiments, Theories, which either like Peacocks feathers make a great ſhew, but are neither ſolid nor uſeful ; or elſe like Apes, if they have ſome appearance of being rational, are blemiſh'd with ſome abſurdity or other, that when they are Attentively conſider'd, makes them appear Ridiculous.

    Since 1 part in 100,000 would imply that one could put a Shuttle up each day for 300 years expecting to lose only one, we could properly ask "What is the cause of management's fantastic faith in the machinery?"

  5. Resembling fantasies in irregularity, caprice, or eccentricity; irregular; grotesque.

    There at the foot of yonder nodding beech, / That wreathes its old fantastic roots so high.

    […]This round of green, this orb of flame, Fantastic beauty; such as lurks ⁠In some wild Poet, when he works Without a conscience or an aim.

noun

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂-der. Proto-Hellenic *pʰáňňō Ancient Greek φαίνω (phaínō) Ancient Greek φαντάζω (phantázō) Proto-Indo-European *-tis Ancient Greek -τις (-tis) Ancient Greek -σῐς (-sĭs) Proto-Indo-European *-kos Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) ? Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Hellenic *-tós Ancient Greek -τος (-tos) ▲ Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) ? Ancient Greek -τικός (-tikós) Ancient Greek φανταστικός (phantastikós)bor. Late Latin phantasticusbor. Middle French fantastiquebor. English fantastic Borrowed from Middle French fantastique, borrowed from Late Latin phantasticus, borrowed from Ancient Greek φᾰντᾰστῐκός (phăntăstĭkós, “imaginary, fantastic; fictional”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- (“to shine”). Equivalent to fantasy + -tic. Doublet of fantastique.

  1. A fanciful or whimsical person.