sensational
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sensational
Exceptionally good, great, or impressive. It is often used colloquially to express strong enthusiasm.
Das Essen in diesem Restaurant war einfach sensationell!
The food in this restaurant was simply sensational!
The adjective 'sensationell' (sensational) is derived from the noun 'die Sensation' (sensation). A sensation is an event that attracts great attention. This origin helps you understand both meanings of the adjective.
Der Fund der alten Münzen war eine wissenschaftliche Sensation.
The discovery of the old coins was a scientific sensation.
The meaning depends strongly on the context. When it is about personal opinions on things like food, films, or vacations, it means 'great'. When it is about news, discoveries, or public events, it means 'attention-grabbing' or 'sensational'.
Deine neue Frisur sieht sensationell aus!
Your new hairstyle looks sensational!
In the meaning of 'great' or 'fantastic', 'sensationell' (sensational) is a typical colloquial word. It expresses strong, positive emotions and enthusiasm.
Die Party gestern war einfach sensationell!
The party yesterday was simply sensational!
In the meaning of 'attention-grabbing', the adjective is often combined with nouns from the areas of news, science, and sports. Typical phrases are 'eine sensationelle Nachricht' (a sensational piece of news), 'ein sensationeller Fund' (a sensational discovery), or 'ein sensationeller Sieg' (a sensational victory).
Dem Team gelang ein sensationeller Sieg gegen den Favoriten.
The team achieved a sensational victory against the favorite.
ordinary / usually
'gewöhnlich' and 'sensationell' are opposites when you are evaluating how special something is. 'gewöhnlich' describes something normal and everyday that does not stand out much. 'sensationell' is used for something very impressive or for something that causes a great stir. So an ordinary result is rather normal, while a sensational result is exceptionally good or surprising.
Wir finden das neue Dach zu Hause sensationell, weil es den ganzen Sommer kühl bleibt.
We think the new roof at home is sensational because it stays cool all summer.
Nach dem Termin war alles wieder gewöhnlich, und niemand sprach noch über das Problem.
After the appointment, everything was ordinary again, and no one talked about the problem anymore.