mythic
adj.relating to ancient stories about gods and heroes, or something so famous and impressive that it feels like a legend.
adj.relating to or resembling a myth; existing in traditional stories rather than real life. Often describes something that has attained legendary status or exaggerated importance in a culture.
“The hero had mythic strength and courage.”
“The founder of the company has achieved a mythic status among the employees, with many stories told about his early days.”
“The film transforms a simple journey into a mythic quest, drawing on ancient archetypes to give the protagonist's personal struggle a sense of universal significance.”
Typically used attributively before a noun; often interchangeable with 'mythical' in literal contexts but preferred for describing legendary status.
“After a detour into mythic fantasy, the author of the Booker-winning A Brief History of Seven Killings returns to Jamaica.”
“Given that most of what we come to know about Vargas is itself a series of fictions, it perhaps makes better sense to frame Nina’s miraculous survival as similarly mythic.”
1660s; from Latin mȳthicos or Ancient Greek μυθικός (muthikós); equivalent to myth + -ic.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.