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

After going on a first date with a girl named Hailey, Logan even decided to break up with Tifah, his imaginary girlfriend. —Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 5 Apr. 2026

Following Christopher Columbus’ first voyage, the rulers of Portugal and Spain, by the Treaty of Tordesillas (1494), partitioned the non-Christian world between them by an imaginary line in the Atlantic, 370 leagues (about 1,300 miles) west of the Cape Verde Islands. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026

The new episodes will introduce Logan, a Las Vegas native who wants to trade his imaginary girlfriend for a real one, and Emma, a Mormon in Utah who dreams of wearing her mother's wedding dress at the altar. —Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Apr. 2026

In a series of viral clips from creators including krislynakuhn, tiffaniortegaaa and kellyturk4, children can be seen crying or protesting before suddenly pausing when a parent calls out to an imaginary person. —Claire Dodds, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026