Synonyms of illusory

illusory

adjective

as in imaginary

formal based on something that is not true or real; based on an illusion

an illusory hope

an illusory sense of security

Related Words

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

Dissimilar Words

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

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective illusory contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of illusory are apparent, ostensible, and seeming. While all these words mean "not actually being what appearance indicates," illusory implies a false impression based on deceptive resemblance or faulty observation, or influenced by emotions that prevent a clear view.

an illusory sense of security

When is apparent a more appropriate choice than illusory?

The synonyms apparent and illusory are sometimes interchangeable, but apparent suggests appearance to unaided senses that may or may not be borne out by more rigorous examination or greater knowledge.

the apparent cause of the accident

When is it sensible to use ostensible instead of illusory?

The meanings of ostensible and illusory largely overlap; however, ostensible suggests a discrepancy between an openly declared or naturally implied aim or reason and the true one.

the ostensible reason for their visit

When could seeming be used to replace illusory?

While the synonyms seeming and illusory are close in meaning, seeming implies a character in the thing observed that gives it the appearance, sometimes through intent, of something else.

the seeming simplicity of the story

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of illusory

This total has always been an illusory, arbitrary concept, one that may prove unreliable yet again as this captivating relegation battle comes to a close. — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2026

Although the size of the illusory truth effect diminishes thereafter, each additional encounter further strengthens our perception of a claim’s legitimacy, that study found. — Markham Heid, Time, 28 Apr. 2026

The idea that transparency offers a route to closure is already proving illusory. — Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2026

Its sense of one of the most famous buildings in world history is romantic, fantasy filled and illusory. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 19 Apr. 2026