Definition of phenomenalnext
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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective phenomenal contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of phenomenal are corporeal, material, objective, physical, and sensible. While all these words mean "of or belonging to actuality," phenomenal applies to what is known or perceived through the senses rather than by intuition or rational deduction.

scientists concerned with the phenomenal world

When would corporeal be a good substitute for phenomenal?

Although the words corporeal and phenomenal have much in common, corporeal implies having the tangible qualities of a body such as shape, size, or resistance to force.

artists have portrayed angels as corporeal beings

When could material be used to replace phenomenal?

The synonyms material and phenomenal are sometimes interchangeable, but material implies formation out of tangible matter; used in contrast with spiritual or ideal it may connote the mundane, crass, or grasping.

material values

When is objective a more appropriate choice than phenomenal?

The meanings of objective and phenomenal largely overlap; however, objective may stress material or independent existence apart from a subject perceiving it.

no objective evidence of damage

When is it sensible to use physical instead of phenomenal?

The words physical and phenomenal are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, physical applies to what is perceived directly by the senses and may contrast with mental, spiritual, or imaginary.

the physical benefits of exercise

In what contexts can sensible take the place of phenomenal?

While the synonyms sensible and phenomenal are close in meaning, sensible stresses the capability of readily or forcibly impressing the senses.

the earth's rotation is not sensible to us

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of phenomenal Steady rain takes hold this weekend after conditions started going downhill overnight Friday with a Frost Advisory following a couple days of phenomenal weather. Matthew Villafane, CBS News, 25 Apr. 2026 The archival footage in that series is phenomenal. Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2026 Premiering the first of its six episodes tonight on HBO, Half Man is Gadd’s follow-up to the phenomenal success of Baby Reindeer, the seven-part Netflix miniseries based on his autobiographical one-man show. Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2026 But the resiliency in this group is pretty phenomenal. Jason Hills, Oc Register, 23 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for phenomenal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phenomenal
Adjective
  • Her appointment was agreed at an extraordinary meeting Monday of the festival’s executive board, made up of San Sebastián City Council, the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa, the Basque Government and the Spanish Ministry of Culture.
    Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 27 Apr. 2026
  • And yet many were created with extraordinary artistic ambition.
    Sudhir Gupta, Rolling Stone, 27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • And typing and talking have both been automated to a superhuman level by AI.
    Jacqueline Munis, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
  • Sure, injuries could change things, or maybe there is some sort of superhuman game that a guy has to at least give the other team a bit of hope.
    David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • About one-fifth of the state is in exceptional drought, the highest level of drought designation.
    Irene Wright, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Set in the late 1980s, the film follows 13-year-old Felice (an exceptional Tiziano Menichelli), a budding tennis star whose overbearing father hooks him up with Raul Getti (Favino), a flameout former pro with a new lithium prescription and a serious ladies-man streak.
    Zac Ntim, Deadline, 29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • His gift is an uncanny ability to solve crimes that leave the LAPD baffled, armed only with the savvy and dry humor reminiscent of the gumshoe detectives of the noir genre.
    Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Cameras now deploy ever higher frame rates, as seen in the uncanny sheen of blockbusters by James Cameron and Peter Jackson, and films are shot, shown, and restored on ever higher resolutions (4K, 8K, and beyond).
    Dennis Lim, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Wednesday’s game, in particular, ended in extremely bizarre fashion with Xavier Edwards turning an unusual unassisted double play with the bases loaded and Freddie Freeman at the plate.
    Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 Apr. 2026
  • In an unusual development, the bank published a range of forecasts given the geopolitical uncertainties.
    ABC News, ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • In my own haze of 'round-the-clock feeds and first-time-parent anxiety, my mom seemed something of a miraculous blur.
    Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 26 Apr. 2026
  • The Atlanta Hawks guard had just led a miraculous comeback in Game 2 of a first-round playoff series against the New York Knicks.
    Fred Katz, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Snitker’s story is unique even in a sport that invites unprecedented journeys.
    Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 26 Apr. 2026
  • Many of those values are grounded in the idea—axiomatic for Christians—that human beings have a unique dignity and worth.
    Elias Wachtel, The Atlantic, 25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Yura’s nemeses, who are part of her elderly father’s underwater court, seem to be after her magical flute, an ancient device that controls their kingdom’s dragon.
    Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 1 May 2026
  • When their fort reveals a magical ability to transport them to worlds across the globe, the girls embark on a whirlwind adventure that brings them closer again.
    Matt Grobar, Deadline, 30 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Phenomenal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phenomenal. Accessed 3 May. 2026.

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