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phantasmagoricalhaving a dreamlike, fantastical quality; characterized by fantastic imagery and incongruous juxtapositions

Part of speech: ADJECTIVE

Definition: having a dreamlike, fantastical quality; characterized by fantastic imagery and incongruous juxtapositions

Pronunciation (IPA): /ˌfæntæzməˈɡɔːrɪkəl/

Example Sentences

  • His phantasmagorical cooking show featured floating ingredients and dancing utensils.
  • The phantasmagorical art exhibition challenged visitors' perception of reality.
  • My grandmother's phantasmagorical stories always featured talking vegetables and flying furniture.

phantasmagorical

ADJECTIVE

[/ˌfæntæzməˈɡɔːrɪkəl/]

having a dreamlike, fantastical quality; characterized by fantastic imagery and incongruous juxtapositions

a young child sleeps peacefully in bed while extraordinary dream visions float above them. Giant butterflies with clock faces for wings flutter next to upside-down houses that grow like flowers from floating islands. A friendly dragon wearing a top hat pours tea from a teapot that transforms into colorful birds mid-pour. Fish swim through the air between floating musical instruments that play themselves. Other fantastical creatures like a rabbit in a tuxedo and a cat with rainbow stripes dance on clouds that drift through the room.  a dreamlike, fantastical quality characterized by fantastic imagery and incongruous juxtapositions
💡 Concept

a young child sleeps peacefully in bed while extraordinary dream visions float above them. Giant butterflies with clock faces for wings flutter next to upside-down houses that grow like flowers from floating islands. A friendly dragon wearing a top hat pours tea from a teapot that transforms into colorful birds mid-pour. Fish swim through the air between floating musical instruments that play themselves. Other fantastical creatures like a rabbit in a tuxedo and a cat with rainbow stripes dance on clouds that drift through the room. a dreamlike, fantastical quality characterized by fantastic imagery and incongruous juxtapositions

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🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/ˌfæntæzməˈɡɔːrɪkəl/
🇬🇧 UK/ˌfæntæzməˈɡɒrɪkəl/

🌳Etymology

Rootphantasm
Suffix--ical

Origin

From the early 19th-century word 'phantasmagoria,' referring to a magic lantern show featuring ghostly projections. The word combines Greek 'phantasma' (ghost/apparition) with 'agora' (assembly/gathering place), literally meaning 'a gathering place of phantoms.'

Breakdown

phantasma- (Greek: ghost/apparition) + -agor- (Greek: assembly/gathering) + -ical (adjective suffix meaning 'relating to')

🎵Rhyme

categoricalallegoricalhistorical
categorical
allegorical
historical

🔗Collocations

phantasmagorical imagery
phantasmagorical dream
phantasmagorical sequence
phantasmagorical vision
phantasmagorical quality

📝Examples

😄 Fun example

His phantasmagorical cooking show featured floating ingredients and dancing utensils.

The phantasmagorical art exhibition challenged visitors' perception of reality.

😄 Fun example

My grandmother's phantasmagorical stories always featured talking vegetables and flying furniture.

📚Related Words

Synonyms

surrealdreamlikefantasticalbizarrehallucinatory

Antonyms

realisticmundaneordinary

Related

phantasmphantasmagoriafantasyillusionmirage

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