adj

sensational

sehn-SAY-shuh-nuhl

adj

Extremely impressive or exciting.

"The team put in a sensational performance."

"She wore a sensational dress to the awards show."

Deliberately exaggerated or shocking, especially in the way news is reported.

"The tabloid was criticized for its sensational headlines."

How to Use Sensational

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither "amazingly good" or "deliberately shocking/exaggerated," depending on context.

When to use it

The "amazingly good" sense is common in everyday speech; the "exaggerated for shock" sense is common when talking about media and journalism.

Common pairings

sensational news sensational performance sensational headline

more sensational comparative, most sensational superlative

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Can you complete this real example?

The team put in a _____ performance.

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