Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective imaginary contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of imaginary are chimerical, fanciful, fantastic, quixotic, and visionary. While all these words mean "unreal or unbelievable," imaginary applies to something which is fictitious and purely the product of one's imagination.

an imaginary desert isle

How does the word chimerical relate to other synonyms for imaginary?

Chimerical combines the implication of visionary and fantastic.

chimerical dreams of future progress

In what contexts can fanciful take the place of imaginary?

In some situations, the words fanciful and imaginary are roughly equivalent. However, fanciful suggests the free play of the imagination.

a teller of fanciful stories

When is it sensible to use fantastic instead of imaginary?

The words fantastic and imaginary can be used in similar contexts, but fantastic implies incredibility or strangeness beyond belief.

a fantastic world inhabited by monsters

When could quixotic be used to replace imaginary?

Although the words quixotic and imaginary have much in common, quixotic implies a devotion to romantic or chivalrous ideals unrestrained by ordinary prudence and common sense.

a quixotic crusade

When is visionary a more appropriate choice than imaginary?

While in some cases nearly identical to imaginary, visionary stresses impracticality or incapability of realization.

visionary schemes

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 imaginary The designer, known for his maximalist, gender-fluid creations, sees his role as providing a bridge to allow people to explore apparently imaginary identities by slipping into new guises. Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 23 May 2025 In true Final Destination tradition, though, this first kill is also often imaginary. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 May 2025 Draw an imaginary line from the magnitude 2.3 star Merak, which forms the outer base of the 'bowl', through Dubhe, the star positioned as the 'pouring tip' of the asterism. Anthony Wood, Space.com, 20 May 2025 The mastermind behind covert action, Frank Wisner, never paused to consider that his cure for defeating an imaginary worldwide communist conspiracy was worse than the disease. Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 15 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for imaginary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imaginary
Adjective
  • That’s the assessment in Ari Aster’s Eddington, which views that collective national trauma through the microcosm of a fictitious New Mexico small town.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2025
  • The trials and tribulations of the fictitious protagonist, however, have precedents.
    Angelica Frey, JSTOR Daily, 9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Set on the fictional New England island of New Penzance in the 1960s, Sam (Jared Gilman), an emotionally disturbed orphan, and Suzy (Kara Hayward), a sophisticated, yet troubled girl in the vein of Margot Tenenbaum, long to grow up and get away from the chaos that surrounds them.
    Shannon Carlin, Time, 30 May 2025
  • Artificial intelligence, virtual reality, self-driving cars — these were all fictional concepts that have since crossed the threshold from imagination to innovation.
    Dete Meserve, Space.com, 29 May 2025
Adjective
  • What makes the book so extraordinary is that is functions as a de facto catalogue for a mythical Rolex museum, chock full of images of timepieces from every Rolex era, dating to 1908, three years after the brand was founded.
    Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 26 May 2025
  • The mythical creature is said to be the origin of the first Vietnamese people.
    Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 23 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Imaginary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imaginary. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

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