FIGMENTS Synonyms: 57 Similar and Opposite Words

figments

noun

plural of figment

as in illusions

a conception or image created by the imagination and having no objective reality unable to find any tracks in the snow the next morning, I was forced to conclude that the shadowy figure had been a figment of my imagination

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in fictions

something that is the product of the imagination thus far, the invisible human being has been nothing more than a figment of fantasy writers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of figments Pína and Hawk mysteriously slip out while Joe and Angela are in the kitchen, suggesting that the adventurous lovemakers may have just been figments of their imagination. — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 11 July 2026 That description is essentially true; as a puppet designer and puppeteer, his job entails figuring out how to materialize figments of the imagination. — Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026 Boone is relentlessly hounded by figments of his guilty memory, by other ghosts, and by his daughter—all of whom emphasize his nefarious role in delaying action to combat climate change. — Julius Taranto, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2026 On the live stream, Nacua questioned whether head injuries are real or just figments of the imagination. — Nate Atkins, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026 Are the protagonist’s past lives real, or just figments of his psychosis? — Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for figments

Noun

In each case, however, modern physics has shown these assumptions to be illusions.

— Adam Frank, NPR, 14 Sep. 2026
Designed by Australian magician and magic consultant Adam Mada, the illusions use a fade box where contestants can be seen disappearing and reappearing on the studio monitors in real time.

— Yamillah Hurtado, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of illusions

Noun

Afterward, Lindsay offered a lesson to high school football players about finding a way to stay the course to fulfill your dreams.

— Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Looking to win a rubber match to keep their fledgling postseason dreams alive, the Twins turned in a lackluster performance in a 9-2 rout by the Cleveland Guardians in front of 17,676 at Target Field.

— Dan Hayes, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of dreams

Noun

This is part of how Hollywood helped make the gerbil legend, shaping stars to deliver fantasies but telling lies along the way.

— Allen Salkin, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026
Within the often zany and slapstick realm of Bob’s Burgers, Tina still manages to steal the show with her singular voice, romantic fantasies, and obsessions with unicorns and boy bums.

— Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of fantasies

Noun

Meanwhile, at a college job fair, Angie and Ormewood encounter a grad student claiming to have psychic visions.

— Rodney Ho, AJC.com, 6 Sep. 2026
Ewa Mroczkowska’s production design also turns dewy embankments, decadent interiors, and sunrises over cemeteries into visions of storybook-like decay.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of visions

Noun

As is common with these tales of sliding doors, the narrative isn’t linear.

— Emmalee Reed, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026
Perhaps this saga of planetary conquest is also a sly commentary on Hollywood imperialism, in which even the most far-flung of small-town tales must be overwhelmed by big-name stars in visual-effects drag.

— Justin Chang, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of tales

Noun

And amidst the momentum of reverie, there’s the line ‘Blink at the light and hope to survive,’ because daydreams in a fascist state can be scary too.

— Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 23 June 2026
One-touch passing, feinting and ripping hard shots into a tattered net, each is super-charged by vivid daydreams of glory on the international stage.

— Jason Motlagh, Rolling Stone, 22 June 2026

Definition of daydreams

Browse Nearby Words

figment

figments

figs

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Figments.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/figments. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of figments

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

watershed

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes