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.
In April 2022, Serrano and Taylor became the first female boxers to headline the legendary New York venue, and, thanks to the involvement of Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), the first to earn over $1m each. — Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026 The legendary sisters were set to reunite earlier this summer at Wimbledon; however, Serena — who, at 44, is in the midst of a comeback after several years away from the sport — was forced to withdraw due to injury. — Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026 The legendary Spanish marque disappeared from the motorcycle scene decades ago, leaving behind a trail of lightweight two-strokes, racing trophies and enough cult following to keep its name alive long after the factory doors had closed. — Bultaco, New Atlas, 5 Sep. 2026 The move has remained through the seasons, growing legendary and referred to by fans as #Browsey. — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 5 Sep. 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 7 Sep. 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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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