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phenomenal

C1
Fairly common

Pronunciation

UK

  • /fɪnˈɒmɪnəl/

US

  • /fəˈnɑmənəl/

Meanings

Adjective

  1. extraordinary, remarkable, or extremely great

  2. relating to conscious experience as directly perceived

Beyond the definition

If something is phenomenal, it's truly outstanding, far beyond the ordinary. Think of a breathtaking sunset, a brilliant musical performance, or an athlete achieving something hard to believe. These are all things that might be described as phenomenal. In everyday English, the word is usually used for something extremely impressive, successful, or memorable. You probably wouldn't use it for a small, ordinary task, but you would use it for something that feels truly special. A phenomenal teacher doesn't just teach; they inspire.

Examples

  1. 1

    Food

    The food at that little restaurant was phenomenal.

  2. 2

    Acting

    He gave a phenomenal performance in the final scene.

  3. 3

    Memory

    She has a phenomenal memory for names and faces.

  4. 4

    Team performance

    The team did a phenomenal job under pressure.

More examples
  1. 5

    Business growth

    Sales grew at a phenomenal rate after the new app launched.

  2. 6

    Teaching skill

    He's phenomenal at explaining difficult ideas in simple language.

See also

Similar

Shades of meaning

Contrast

Used with (collocations)

  • phenomenal success
  • phenomenal growth
  • phenomenal talent
  • phenomenal performance

Word family

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Forms and spellings

1 form open this card.

Main spelling

  • phenomenaladjective