mirobolant

great, extraordinary, incredible; extremely unrealizable, infeasible (too magnificent or beautiful to be practicable)

“L'État a dépensé des sommes mirobolantes sur ce projet.” — The State spent an extraordinary amount of funds on this project.

Ultimately from Latin myrobalanum, from Ancient Greek μυροβάλανος (murobálanos). First attested in 1838. Likely originates as Mirobolan, the name of a medicine in Crispin medecin, a 1680 comedy by Hauteroche, a humorous reinterpretation/respelling of myrobolan (“myrobalan, a medicinal plant”) as present participle of the (then) non-existent verb miroboler, as if from mirer (“to stare intensely”), from Latin mīrārī (“to wonder, marvel at”).

wonder, marvel (something extraordinary, causing amazement)

Ultimately from Latin myrobalanum, from Ancient Greek μυροβάλανος (murobálanos). First attested in 1838. Likely originates as Mirobolan, the name of a medicine in Crispin medecin, a 1680 comedy by Hauteroche, a humorous reinterpretation/respelling of myrobolan (“myrobalan, a medicinal plant”) as present participle of the (then) non-existent verb miroboler, as if from mirer (“to stare intensely”), from Latin mīrārī (“to wonder, marvel at”).