Synonyms of imaginary

imaginary

adjective

i-ˈma-jə-ˌner-ē 

as in fictitious

not real and existing only in the imagination

told by the psychologist that it was perfectly normal for their child to have an imaginary friend

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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

Recent Examples of imaginary

If your brain immediately starts inventing imaginary future scenarios, that’s often your sign the item has already served its purpose. —Alesandra Dubin, Southern Living, 17 Jan. 2026

Under the noonday sun while fishing, or stealing light from the full moon, the point of his pencil traced the imaginary movements of the washers, threads, coil springs, cylinders, bolts, and screws that had long enriched the workings of his mind. —Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026

Torgashev dropped an imaginary microphone for his ending pose, then doubled over before dropping to a knee as the crowd rose to its feet. —Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2026

Even more pathetic was when Maher, who initially had claimed to be a captain, discovered that Yasser’s imaginary rank outranked his own. —Elizabeth Tsurkov, The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2026