legendary

adjective

leg·​end·​ary ˈle-jən-ˌder-ē 

-ˌde-rē

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 

-ˈde-rə-

adverb

Synonyms

• fabled
• fabulous
• mythical
• mythic

Choose the Right Synonym for legendary

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

The news was confirmed by Sam Saunders, grandson of the legendary Arnold Palmer and a member of the tournament's exemption committee. —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 1 Mar. 2025

Days after the legendary actor, 95, and his wife, 65, and their dog were found dead in their home New Mexico home on Wednesday, Feb. 26, details about their death remain unclear — especially for those who were close to them. —Jen Juneau, People.com, 1 Mar. 2025

Hackman was recognized for his Oscar-winning performance in the film by actor Viola Davis, who paid tribute to the legendary actor after his death. —Stephanie Giang-Paunon, Fox News, 1 Mar. 2025

Welcome to Spicewood Willie Nelson wears a lot of hats: legendary singer/songwriter, actor, mentor, father and husband, with a healthy helping of humanitarian/activist in the mix. —Leslie Kelly, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1570, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for legendary

• accessary
• adversary
• ancillary
• arbitrary
• aviary
• axillary
• beriberi
• breviary
• budgetary
• capillary
• catenary
• cautionary

Kids Definition

legendary

adjective

leg·​end·​ary ˈlej-ən-ˌder-ē 

1

: of or resembling a legend

2

: well-known, famous