"Amazing" is one of those words we use all the time in English to describe anything from a delicious meal to a breathtaking view. But what if you want to express that same level of enthusiasm and wonder in French? While there are a few common go-to words, you might be surprised by how many nuanced and vibrant alternatives exist.Learning these different expressions will not only enrich your vocabulary but also make your conversations sound much more natural and expressive. Ready to elevate your French descriptions from 'good' to 'truly amazing'? Let's dive into 9 fantastic ways to say "amazing" in French!

The standard 'amazing' – formidable

The standard 'amazing' – formidable

In French, formidable is a versatile and commonly used adjective meaning 'amazing', 'great', 'wonderful', or 'fantastic'.

Unlike many French adjectives, formidable is invariable with regard to gender and number. This means it stays the same whether it's describing a masculine, feminine, singular, or plural noun (e.g., un homme formidable, une femme formidable, des idées formidables).

You'll hear formidable used frequently in everyday conversation. It's suitable for both informal and moderately formal contexts, making it a reliable go-to word for expressing strong positive approval.

It's important to note that the French formidable has a distinctly positive connotation, which can be a false friend for English speakers. In English, 'formidable' often implies something intimidating, challenging, or awe-inspiring in a powerful (sometimes negative) way. In French, it's almost always a compliment.

You can use formidable to describe people, experiences, objects, or ideas. It's a strong expression of approval or admiration for anything that genuinely impresses you.

When a French person says something is formidable, they are genuinely impressed and delighted. It's a sincere expression of enthusiasm and high praise.

Formidable conveys a level of excitement that's stronger than just 'good' (bon) but perhaps not as intense as 'extraordinary' (extraordinaire), sitting comfortably in the 'amazing' or 'wonderful' category.

💡 * C'est une idée formidable ! (That's an amazing idea!)

• Ce concert était formidable. (This concert was fantastic.)
• Tu es formidable ! (You are amazing!)
• Nous avons passé un week-end formidable à la campagne. (We had a wonderful weekend in the countryside.)
• Leurs enfants sont vraiment formidables. (Their children are truly wonderful.)

The 'incredible' amazing – incroyable

The 'incredible' amazing – incroyable

The French adjective incroyable directly translates to 'incredible' or 'unbelievable' in English. It's used to express strong feelings of amazement, surprise, or even disbelief about something extraordinary.

This powerful word can describe anything from a breathtaking view (une vue incroyable) to an astonishing achievement (un exploit incroyable). Its versatility makes it a staple for conveying heightened emotions.

Interestingly, incroyable carries a dual connotation. It can highlight something exceptionally good or wonderful (e.g., 'What an incredible talent!'), but also something exceptionally bad, shocking, or hard to believe (e.g., 'That's an unbelievable mistake!'). The context and tone are key.

As an adjective, incroyable agrees in number with the noun it modifies. It ends in '-e', so its singular form is the same for both masculine and feminine nouns. For plural, simply add an 's': incroyables.

Perhaps its most common usage is as a standalone exclamation: Incroyable! This functions like 'Incredible!' or 'Unbelievable!' in English, often conveying sheer astonishment or disbelief without needing a full sentence.

💡 * C'est incroyable comme il a grandi! (It's incredible how much he's grown!)

• Le paysage était absolument incroyable. (The landscape was absolutely incredible.)
• J'ai entendu une histoire incroyable hier soir. (I heard an unbelievable story last night.)
• Son talent pour la musique est incroyable. (His talent for music is incredible.)
• Les embouteillages sont incroyables ce matin. (The traffic jams are unbelievable this morning.)

1. The 'magnificent' amazing – magnifique

When you want to express that something is truly magnificent, amazing, wonderful, or splendid in French, the adjective you'll reach for is magnifique.

Magnifique is a versatile adjective that perfectly captures a sense of grandeur, beauty, or impressive quality. It's commonly used to describe anything from art and landscapes to experiences and achievements.

One of the best things about magnifique for French learners is its invariability. Unlike many French adjectives, magnifique does not change its form to agree in gender (masculine/feminine) or number (singular/plural) with the noun it modifies.

This means you'll use magnifique whether you're talking about un paysage magnifique (a magnificent landscape), une fleur magnifique (a magnificent flower), des paysages magnifiques (magnificent landscapes), or des fleurs magnifiques (magnificent flowers).

Like most descriptive adjectives in French, magnifique typically follows the noun it describes. For example, un spectacle magnifique (a magnificent show) or une performance magnifique (an amazing performance).

Magnifique conveys a strong positive sentiment, often indicating something that is awe-inspiring or exceptionally good. It's a powerful word to add to your vocabulary for expressing admiration.

💡 * C'est une vue magnifique. (It's a magnificent view.)

• Le concert était magnifique. (The concert was amazing.)
• Vous avez fait un travail magnifique. (You did a wonderful job.)
• Ces fleurs sont magnifiques. (These flowers are beautiful/magnificent.)

The 'extraordinary' amazing – extraordinaire

The French adjective extraordinaire directly translates to 'extraordinary' in English. It's used to describe something remarkably amazing, outstanding, or exceptional, going beyond the ordinary.

As an adjective, extraordinaire agrees in number with the noun it modifies, but it is invariable in gender. This means it stays the same whether the noun is masculine or feminine (e.g., un film extraordinaire, une histoire extraordinaire). It typically follows the noun it describes.

Extraordinaire is a strong adjective, conveying a high degree of amazement or impressiveness. It's often used to express genuine wonder or to highlight something truly exceptional, similar to 'incredible' or 'phenomenal' in English.

💡 * C'est un film extraordinaire ! (It's an extraordinary film!)* Elle a une voix extraordinaire. (She has an amazing voice.)* Nous avons passé un moment extraordinaire ensemble. (We had an extraordinary time together.)* Ces résultats sont vraiment extraordinaires. (These results are truly amazing.)* Son talent est extraordinaire. (His/Her talent is extraordinary.)

The 'super' or 'great' amazing – super

The 'super' or 'great' amazing – super

The word super in French is an incredibly versatile term, directly translating to 'super' in English, but often used to mean 'great,' 'amazing,' 'excellent,' or even 'very.'

One of its key features is its invariability. Unlike most adjectives in French, super does not change its form to agree in gender or number with the noun it modifies. It remains super whether it describes a masculine, feminine, singular, or plural noun.

When used as an adjective, super conveys a strong positive quality. For example, 'un film super' (a super film), 'une idée super' (a super idea), 'des amis super' (super friends).

It can also function as an adverb, intensifying another adjective or verb. In this case, it means 'very' or 'really.' For instance, 'Il est super content' (He is super happy/really happy), 'Elle chante super bien' (She sings super well/really well).

While widely understood, super is generally considered informal. It's perfect for everyday conversations but might be avoided in very formal writing or speeches, where words like 'excellent' or 'magnifique' might be preferred.

💡 * C'est une super nouvelle ! (That's super news!)

• Ils ont passé des vacances super. (They had a super vacation.)
• Elle cuisine super bien. (She cooks super well.)
• Ce concert était super ! (This concert was super!)
• Tu es super gentil. (You are super kind.)

The 'brilliant' or 'awesome' amazing – génial

When you want to express that something is 'brilliant', 'awesome', 'great', or 'amazing' in French, the go-to word is génial.

Génial is a very common and versatile adjective used to describe people, things, ideas, or experiences that are truly wonderful or excellent. It's an enthusiastic and positive expression.

As an adjective, génial agrees in number with the noun it modifies. It doesn't change for gender in its singular form (e.g., un film génial, une idée géniale). For plural, it becomes géniaux for masculine plural and géniales for feminine plural. However, in informal spoken French, génial is often used as an invariable exclamation.

While it translates to 'brilliant' or 'awesome', génial is perhaps less intense than 'amazing' in English and more akin to 'great' or 'fantastic'. It's a strong positive, but not necessarily mind-blowing. It's a fantastic all-rounder for positive feedback.

You can use génial in almost any informal or semi-formal context to express strong approval or delight. It's widely understood and appreciated, making it a safe and effective choice for expressing positivity.

💡 * Ce film est génial ! (This movie is brilliant!)

• C'est une idée géniale. (That's a great idea.)
• Ils sont géniaux, ces enfants. (These kids are awesome.)
• J'ai passé des vacances géniales. (I had an amazing vacation.)
• Génial ! (Awesome! / Great!)

The 'marvelous' amazing – merveilleux/merveilleuse

The French adjective for 'marvelous' or 'amazing' is merveilleux (masculine singular) or merveilleuse (feminine singular).

This adjective is used to describe something that is wonderful, fantastic, or truly amazing, often conveying a sense of awe or strong positive emotion. It's a versatile word to express high praise.

As an adjective, merveilleux/merveilleuse must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. For masculine plural, it becomes merveilleux, and for feminine plural, it becomes merveilleuses.

💡 * C'était une expérience merveilleuse. (It was a marvelous experience.)

• Ton nouveau livre est absolument merveilleux. (Your new book is absolutely amazing.)
• Les paysages étaient merveilleux. (The landscapes were marvelous.)
• Quelle merveilleuse idée ! (What a marvelous idea!)
• Nous avons passé des vacances merveilleuses. (We had marvelous holidays.)

The 'breathtaking' amazing – époustouflant

The 'breathtaking' amazing – époustouflant

The French adjective époustouflant translates to 'breathtaking,' 'stunning,' or 'mind-blowing.' It's used to describe something incredibly impressive, amazing, or astonishing.

This powerful word is reserved for experiences, sights, or achievements that truly leave you speechless. Think of a spectacular landscape, an incredible performance, or an astonishing feat of skill.

As an adjective, époustouflant agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies. For example, une vue époustouflante (a breathtaking view) or des résultats époustouflants (breathtaking results).

💡 * La vue depuis le sommet était époustouflante. (The view from the summit was breathtaking.)

• Son talent est absolument époustouflant. (His talent is absolutely stunning.)
• Ils ont réalisé une performance époustouflante. (They delivered a breathtaking performance.)
• C'est un film époustouflant, je le recommande vivement. (It's a stunning film, I highly recommend it.)

1. The 'fantastic' amazing – fantastique

The most direct and common way to say "fantastic" or "amazing" in French is the adjective fantastique.

Fantastique is an adjective that means "fantastic" or "amazing." It is invariable in gender (it doesn't change for masculine or feminine nouns), but it does take an -s in the plural form (e.g., des idées fantastiques).

You'll use fantastique to describe something wonderful, excellent, or really great. It conveys strong positive approval, much like "awesome" or "superb" in English, and is suitable for various contexts from casual to more formal.

Beyond just "great," fantastique also carries a nuance related to "fantasy" or "imagination." So, it can describe something extraordinary, almost unbelievable, or even magical, stemming from the word fantaisie (fantasy).

While fantastique is widely used, other common French adjectives expressing similar positive feelings include génial (great, awesome) and super (super, great), which are often used in more informal settings.

💡 * C'était un voyage fantastique ! (It was a fantastic trip!)

• Elle a une imagination fantastique. (She has a fantastic imagination.)
• Ces nouvelles sont fantastiques. (This news is fantastic.)
• Ton idée est absolument fantastique. (Your idea is absolutely fantastic.)
• Les acteurs étaient fantastiques dans la pièce. (The actors were fantastic in the play.)

Are there other ways to say 'amazing' in French?

Are there other ways to say “amazing” in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say “amazing” in French. But there are other terms, from old-fashioned ones, to regional ones, to up-and-coming slang ones this middle-aged author might not even be aware of!

You can also do an online search for “comment dire incroyable en ___” followed by a specific Francophone country or region.

You might find some interesting synonyms for incroyable on this list. Of course, make sure to check a word’s definition and try to see it used in context before you use it.

Pay attention as you read, watch, and listen to things in French — you may discover different ways to express amazement.

And if you’re looking for ways to talk about different kinds of “amazing” things, or words about wonder and awe in French, the WordReference entry for incroyable is a great place to start!

I hope you found this article helpful. Here’s what I think is the perfect quote to finish it with, courtesy of Marcel Proust: Le vrai voyage de découverte ne consiste pas à chercher de nouveaux paysages, mais à avoir de nouveaux yeux. (The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.)