Synonyms for unreal
- adjective
Most common
fantastic imaginary ethereal insubstantial fake mythical dreamlike illusionary
Synonyms by meaning
Adjective
1. Fantastic
fantastic, insubstantial, imaginary, ethereal, fictitious, illusive, fanciful, fabulous, illusory, airy, fantastical, shadowy, dreamy, immaterial, deceptive, ideal, vaporous, chimerical, tenuous, ghostly, notional, visionary
2. Fake
fake, false, make-believe, man-made, mythical, artificial, bogus, mythic, fictional, factitious, simulated, ersatz, synthetic, illegitimate, colored US, coloured UK, sham, fabricated, spurious, feigned, unauthentic
Other
Definitions
- adj. 1
Not real or substantial; having no actual presence in reality; lacking the characteristics of reality.
- adj. 2
very impressive; amazing; unbelievable; incredible; larger or more fantastic than typical of real life.
I just had an unreal hamburger.
Related words
- Phrases
- unreal mode
Example sentences
- fantastic It would be fantastic if you could do that for me.
- imaginary Sami said his imaginary friend didn't have a face.
- ethereal The voice sounded very weird, almost ethereal.
- insubstantial The judge found the evidence of his guilt insubstantial.
- fake Many consumer reviews of books on Amazon are fake.
- mythical Jebus is the mythical former name of Jerusalem.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| unreal | steady | |
| fantastic | rising | |
| imaginary | rising | |
| ethereal | rising | |
| insubstantial | steady | |
| fake | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- fake1, sham1, airy2
- 5 letters
- false1, ideal2, bogus2
- 6 letters
- dreamy2, mythic2, ersatz2
- 7 letters
- colored2, phantom2, shadowy3, ghostly2, tenuous3, feigned1
- 8 letters
- fabulous3, coloured2, mythical3, ethereal4, fanciful3, spurious3, illusory4, notional3, illusive3, vaporous, delusory
- 9 letters
- fantastic3, synthetic3, fictional3, imaginary5, simulated4, visionary4, deceptive3, dreamlike2
- 10 letters
- artificial4, fabricated4, fictitious3, immaterial5, factitious3, chimerical4, illusional
- 11 letters
- fantastical, illusionary5, unauthentic4
- 12 letters
- illegitimate5
- 13 letters
- insubstantial4
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (airy2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- irréel
- Italiano
- irreale
- Español
- irreal
- Deutsch
- unwirklich