adjective Uncommon

fab

Fab (adjective) means Wonderful; excellent; fantastic. Example: “They had a fab time at the beach.”

adjective

Wonderful; excellent; fantastic.

"They had a fab time at the beach."

"That's a fab idea for the party."

noun

A factory that manufactures semiconductor chips.

"The company is building a new chip fab in Arizona."

How to use fab

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishAn informal British slang word meaning great or fantastic; in the tech and manufacturing world, "fab" is also shorthand for a chip-fabrication plant.

When to use it

The "wonderful" sense is casual British slang, associated with 1960s pop culture (the Beatles were sometimes called "the Fab Four").

Common pairings

fab idea chip fab absolutely fab

Word forms

fabber comparative, fabbed past tense, fabs plural, Fabs plural, fabs singular, fabbest superlative

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “fab” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

They had a _____ time at the beach.

Etymology

Short for "fabulous"; the chip-factory sense is a separate, unrelated shortening of "fabrication."

Frequently asked questions

What does “fab” mean?

The word “fab” means wonderful; excellent; fantastic. In plain terms, an informal British slang word meaning great or fantastic; in the tech and manufacturing world, "fab" is also shorthand for a chip-fabrication plant.

How do you pronounce “fab”?

“Fab” is pronounced fab (/fæb/ in IPA).

How do you use “fab” in a sentence?

Here is “fab” used in a sentence: “They had a fab time at the beach.”

What part of speech is “fab”?

Depending on how it is used, “fab” can be an adjective and a noun.

Is “fab” a common word?

“Fab” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “fab” have?

“Fab” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: wonderful; excellent; fantastic.

Featured in

Vocabulary lists that include fab:

Words that end with B