Szenzációs

Szenzációs is a Hungarian adjective meaning sensational, remarkable, or striking. It is used to describe events, performances, news, or objects that provoke strong interest, excitement, or surprise. The word can be neutral, as in a remarkable achievement, or pejorative, when it signals sensationalism or exaggerated storytelling—especially in media discourse.

Etymology and usage notes: szenzációs is formed from the noun szenzáció (sensation) with the usual Hungarian suffix -s to produce an adjective. The noun szenzáció is a loanword from Western European languages, commonly linked to the French sensation or the German Sensation. In Hungarian, szenzációs can carry different connotations depending on context: it may praise something as impressive, or critique it as overhyped or manipulative in order to attract attention.

Typical contexts and collocations include szenzációs hír (sensational news), szenzációs teljesítmény (sensational performance), and szenzációs felvétel (sensational recording or image). In journalism and advertising, the term often appears to signal drama and emotional appeal; in critical or academic writing it may convey a negative evaluation of sensationalist techniques, as in szenzációhajhász média.

See also: sensation, sensationalism, sensational journalism, szenzáció.