chimerical

Frequently Asked Questions About chimerical

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