Synonyms of realistic

realistic

adjective

ˌrē-ə-ˈli-stik 

1

as in pragmatic

willing to see things as they really are and deal with them sensibly

high schoolers who need to be more realistic in their career choices, as so few people end up as rock stars

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pragmatic
• practical
• sensible
• rational
• reasonable
• logical
• matter-of-fact
• down-to-earth
• cynical
• earthy
• hardheaded
• sound
• grounded
• sober
• sane
• utilitarian
• commonsensical
• skeptical
• hard
• pessimistic
• unsentimental
• unromantic
• levelheaded
• bottom-line
• disillusioned
• no-nonsense
• tough-minded
• suspicious
• hard-edged
• idealless
• misanthropic
• sobersided
• distrustful
• philistine
• mistrustful
• hard-boiled

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unrealistic
• idealistic
• impractical
• utopian
• imaginative
• fanciful
• romantic
• blue-sky
• visionary
• fantastic
• optimistic
• sentimental
• cheerful
• theoretical
• unreasonable
• irrational
• insane
• illogical
• trusting
• trustful
• rose-colored
• unsuspicious
• half-baked

2

as in living

closely resembling the object imitated

those special effects look really realistic—I'd never guess they were all computer-generated

Synonyms & Similar Words

• living
• naturalistic
• lifelike
• natural
• vivid
• three-dimensional
• compelling
• photo-realistic
• graphic
• similar
• accurate
• comparable
• like
• true
• near
• convincing
• matching
• approximate
• alike
• analogous
• faithful
• expressive
• close
• verisimilar
• akin
• resembling
• gritty

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unrealistic
• unnatural
• unlike
• dissimilar
• different
• off
• nonrealistic
• incomparable
• nonnatural
• unmatched
• disparate
• contrasting
• fake
• unalike
• mock
• phony
• sham
• contrasted

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of realistic

Paying only the minimum owed each month can stretch the repayment timeline out for years, while paying substantially more on your credit card balances each month may not be realistic if the budget is already tight. — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026

Uncharismatic leaders, often measured, realistic, and execution-oriented, are frequently overlooked despite their effectiveness. — Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026

The states say a more realistic figure for damages would be around $200 billion. — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2026

Look at a realistic repair estimate for the car’s age and mileage, and factor in what the deductible would add on top. — Emily Mercer, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026