Cool MateFantastic vs That's a terrific story
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Fantastic
Top 2,000 (common)A1adjective
That's a terrific story
Top 2,000 (common)
| Fantastic | That's a terrific story | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/fænˈtæstɪk/"]/🇺🇸 /["/fænˈtæstɪk/"]/ | 🇬🇧 //ðæts ə təˈrɪfɪk ˈstɔːri//🇺🇸 //ðæts ə təˈrɪfɪk ˈstɔri// |
| Meaning | Really great or awesome. | It's a great story. |
| Example | The movie was absolutely fantastic and I enjoyed every moment of it. | After hearing her tale, I told her, 'That's a terrific story!' |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 2,000 (common) |
| CEFR level | A1 | - |
| Part of speech | adjective | |
| Collocations | be, feel, look, really, truly, utterly, be, look, seem, rather | tell a story, great story, hear a story, share a story, exciting story |
| Antonyms | terrible, awful, bad | - |
| Common mistakes | Using 'fantastic' to describe negative things, which is incorrect., Mixing up 'fantastic' with 'fantastical', which means imaginary or whimsical., Think it's only for extraordinary situations; it can also be used for nice, everyday experiences. | Using 'terrific' incorrectly as negative (it means great), Confusing 'terrific' with 'terrible', Not using 'that's' when starting the phrase |
| Usage notes | Use 'fantastic' in everyday conversation to express that something is very good. It's appropriate for most contexts but can feel overly enthusiastic in formal writing. | Use this phrase to express enjoyment or admiration for someone's story. It's appropriate in most conversational contexts but may sound overly enthusiastic in formal situations. |
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Frequently asked questions: Fantastic vs That's a terrific story
What's the difference between Fantastic and That's a terrific story?
Fantastic: Really great or awesome. That's a terrific story: It's a great story.
Can you show an example of each?
Fantastic: The movie was absolutely fantastic and I enjoyed every moment of it. That's a terrific story: After hearing her tale, I told her, 'That's a terrific story!'
Can I use Fantastic and That's a terrific story interchangeably?
Not always. Fantastic and That's a terrific story are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.