sensational
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
extremely good, impressive, or attractive.
denoting something of exceptionally high quality or excellence; often used as a superlative in informal or semi-formal contexts.
Simple“The view from the top of the mountain was absolutely sensational.”
In context“The young pianist gave a sensational performance that left the audience in stunned silence before they erupted into applause.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
trying to get people's attention by using shocking details or exaggerating the truth.
intended to provoke strong public interest or excitement, often at the expense of accuracy or nuance.
Simple“The newspaper used a sensational headline to sell more copies.”
In context“Critics accused the documentary of being overly sensational, arguing that it focused on scandalous rumours rather than the documented facts of the case.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
relating to your physical senses, like touch, sight, or hearing.
pertaining to physical sensation or the operation of the senses.
Simple“The experiment measured the sensational response of the skin to different temperatures.”
In context“The research paper explores the sensational pathways through which the brain processes tactile stimuli in high-pressure environments.”
Synonyms
“The 24-year-old has overcome her share of setbacks to achieve a historic haul of four European gold medals in a sensational seven days on home soil.”
“Rob Schneider, who played the bellboy to Curry's uppity hotel clerk in Home Alone 2, also praised Curry as a "sensational character actor".”
From sensation + -al.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.