unreal

adjective

un·​re·​al ˌən-ˈrē(-ə)l 

: lacking in reality, substance, or genuineness : artificial, illusory

also : incredible, fantastic

Synonyms

• absurd
• bizarre
• crazy
• fanciful
• fantastic
• fantastical
• foolish
• insane
• nonsensical
• preposterous
• wild

Examples of unreal in a Sentence

The town seemed as unreal as a movie set.

The fashion model looked unreal, like a doll.

I think it's unreal that he survived the accident.

Recent Examples on the Web

In a sit-down interview, Goldberg said the amount of disrespect Gunther had for Goldberg was unreal. —Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025

And, if Mateer and Ott are as-advertised, this could be an unreal year for the Sooners. —Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 18 June 2025

Americans preferred traditional, realistic narratives over the experimental and unreal. —Literary Hub, 4 June 2025

People on social media have been commenting about the idea of only one person surviving the crash, calling it unreal, remarkable, a work of divine intervention, and a miracle. —Lisa Baumann, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unreal

• afebrile
• bookmobile
• cochineal
• nonideal
• peroneal
• philomel
• popliteal
• snowmobile
• waterwheel
• abele
• alkyl
• anneal

Kids Definition

unreal

adjective

un·​re·​al ˌən-ˈrē(-ə)l 

-ˈri(-ə)l,

ˈən-

1

: not real, actual, or genuine : illusory

2

: fantastic sense 2