Synonyms of chimerical

chimerical

adjective

kī-ˈmer-i-kəl 

variants also chimeric

as in imaginary

not real and existing only in the imagination

for the time being, interplanetary travel remains a chimerical feature of life in the 21st century

Synonyms & Similar Words

• imaginary
• fictitious
• mythical
• fictional
• imagined
• fantasied
• imaginal
• fanciful
• ideal
• phantom
• phantasmal
• unreal
• invented
• make-believe
• phantasmic
• notional
• theoretical
• visionary
• fantastic
• made-up
• pretend
• romantic
• hypothetical
• fabulous
• legendary
• unlikely
• abstract
• fabled
• illusory
• delusive
• unconvincing
• envisioned
• deceptive
• hallucinatory
• phantasmagoric
• unbelievable
• conceived
• visualized
• fictive
• envisaged
• delusional
• nonexistent
• concocted
• pictured
• feigned
• fabricated
• daydreamlike
• inexistent

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• real
• actual
• true
• existing
• genuine
• existent
• authentic
• realistic
• factual
• convincing
• verifiable
• physical
• substantial
• solid
• believable
• corporeal
• tangible
• material
• palpable
• verified

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective chimerical contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of chimerical are fanciful, fantastic, imaginary, quixotic, and visionary. While all these words mean "unreal or unbelievable," chimerical combines the implication of visionary and fantastic.

chimerical dreams of future progress

In what contexts can fanciful take the place of chimerical?

The synonyms fanciful and chimerical are sometimes interchangeable, but fanciful suggests the free play of the imagination.

a teller of fanciful stories

When is it sensible to use fantastic instead of chimerical?

The words fantastic and chimerical can be used in similar contexts, but fantastic implies incredibility or strangeness beyond belief.

a fantastic world inhabited by monsters

When can imaginary be used instead of chimerical?

The words imaginary and chimerical are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, imaginary applies to something which is fictitious and purely the product of one's imagination.

an imaginary desert isle

Where would quixotic be a reasonable alternative to chimerical?

While the synonyms quixotic and chimerical are close in meaning, quixotic implies a devotion to romantic or chivalrous ideals unrestrained by ordinary prudence and common sense.

a quixotic crusade

When might visionary be a better fit than chimerical?

While in some cases nearly identical to chimerical, visionary stresses impracticality or incapability of realization.

visionary schemes

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of chimerical

Advertisement But this victory proved chimerical. —Time, 12 Sep. 2025

Projections of economic gains from major sporting events are typically optimistic, euphoric, chimerical or conjectural. —Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2025

Meanwhile, Kilgore, his dream of fame approaching, also sees its chimerical agonies. —Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2025

This trial, funded by the National Cancer Institute, uses chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells that are injected directly into the dog's lymph nodes. —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 31 Jan. 2025