fantastic

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   extravagantly fanciful in design, construction, appearance

   Gaudi's fantastic architecture

2. 2
   adj

   existing in fancy only

   fantastic figures with bulbous heads the circumference of a bushel- Nathaniel Hawthorne

3. 3
   adj

   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!"

4. 4
   adj

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

   He told fantastic stories of dragons and goblins.

5. 5
   adj

   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.

6. 6
   adj

   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.

7. 7
   adj

   ludicrously odd

8. 8
   adj

   extraordinarily good or great

Etymology

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.