phantasmal

adjective

Definition of phantasmalnext
as in imaginary
not real and existing only in the imagination phantasmal fears that have prevented her from living a normal life

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 phantasmal The Mellotron occupies a phantasmal space in our pop culture consciousness. — Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 19 July 2026 Beyond that, all apparent structures are merely phantasmal. — Big Think, 27 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phantasmal
  1. imaginary
  2. fictional
  3. mythical
  4. fictitious
  5. imaginal
  6. imagined
Adjective
  • Where travel still leaves room for people The goal isn't to return to some imaginary golden age of travel.
    — Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
  • There isn’t even a drastic generational shift between that imaginary cast and this film’s actual one.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of imaginary
Adjective
  • The first season was filmed in Wales and set in the fictional North Wales village of Morfa Halen.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
  • This is where the creation of the aforementioned fictional Barrow’s Green came about, which eventually came to life in the form of The Six Bells Inn.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of fictional
Adjective
  • Morris’s book focuses only on the representation of real animals; cataloguing mythic and hybrid creatures would take another volume entirely.
    — Kelly Presutti, ARTnews.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Equally jubilant and terrifying, his size brings both John and Jim Ross to this mythic quality.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of mythical
Adjective
  • The undercover analyst noted in a message that his fictitious 4-year-old brother would be home the next day, when the Perez meeting was expected.
    — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Final testing relied on fictitious data instead of the real records of millions of residents.
    — Komal Goyal, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of fictitious
Adjective
  • Peter [Merry] likes to use is that, when a caterpillar is becoming a butterfly, new ‘imaginal cells’ emerge.
    — Big Think, Big Think, 7 Aug. 2025
  • With one technique, for example—called imaginal exposure—you might be asked to visualize the process of going to the airport, boarding the plane, and experiencing a bad bout of turbulence.
    — Angela Haupt, TIME, 10 May 2024
Definition of imaginal
Adjective
  • And this year’s menu reflects some through-the-years favorites, including some that have been re-imagined.
    — Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Excess doorways were removed and replaced with new casework—the removal of some doorways allowed some spaces to be re-imagined, creating reading nooks or quiet collaboration spaces.
    — Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of imagined

Browse Nearby Words

phantasmagoric
phantasmal
phantasmic
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Phantasmal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phantasmal. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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