Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Celebrated or well-known from fable, myth, or legend: Describes something or someone famous through stories passed down over time, often with a sense of mystery or unreality.
   • Fictional or imaginary; having the nature of a fable: Describes something that is invented or exaggerated, not based in fact.

Usage

• The adjective fabled is used to describe people, places, objects, or qualities that are the subject of famous traditional stories. It often implies a romantic, exaggerated, or mythical quality. It can be used attributively (before a noun) or predicatively (after a linking verb).

Examples

• Attributive use (before a noun):
  • We searched for the fabled city of gold.
  • He possessed the fabled strength of a giant.
• Predicative use (after a linking verb):
  • The treasure described in the old map is fabled to be cursed.
  • Her beauty was fabled throughout the land.

Advanced Usage

• "to be fabled for": to be famous or legendary for a particular quality.
  • The region is fabled for its hospitality and ancient ruins.
• Used to describe something whose fame is based more on story than on proven history, often carrying a tone of skepticism or wonder.
  • They finally visited the fabled restaurant, but found the food was merely average.

Variants and Related Words

• Fable (n): A short story, typically with animals as characters, conveying a moral; a legendary story of supernatural happenings.
  • Aesop's fables teach important life lessons.
• Fabulous (adj): Extraordinary, especially extraordinarily good; resembling or based on fable.
  • We had a fabulous time at the party. (extraordinarily good)
  • The book describes fabulous creatures like dragons. (mythical)

Synonyms

• Legendary: Very famous and talked about a lot; described in legends.
• Mythical: Existing only in myths; imaginary or not real.
• Fabulous (in the sense of 'mythical').
• Apocryphal: Of doubtful authenticity, although widely circulated as being true.

Antonyms

• Historical: Belonging to the past, factual.
• Real: Actually existing as a thing or occurring in fact.
• Authentic: Of undisputed origin; genuine.

Idioms and Phrases

• "the fabled [something]": A common construction used to refer to something often spoken of but rarely seen or proven.
  • After years of study, he finally deciphered the fabled lost language.

Adjective

1. celebrated in fable or legend
   • the fabled Paul Bunyan and his blue ox
   • legendary exploits of Jesse James