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phantasmic

adjective

Definition of phantasmicnext
as in imaginary
not real and existing only in the imagination had spent a restless night during which he was visited by a series of phantasmic figures

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 phantasmic Standing to the right, the viewer perceives this phantasmic figure underneath their reflection, a disturbing Other, a double. — James Meyer, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phantasmic
  1. imaginary
  2. mythical
  3. fictional
  4. fictitious
  5. imaginal
  6. imagined
Adjective
  • Sazan is a rugged place—strewn with rocks and tangles of trees, populated by a large colony of rats, and studded with bunkers built by the Marxist dictator Enver Hoxha to defend against an imaginary invasion.
    — Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
  • David extended a hand toward me (imaginary attacks by slow, handshake-wielding maniacs are a martial arts class staple).
    — Johanna Stein, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of imaginary
Adjective
  • Streep is voicing Aslan, the mythical lion who creates the mystical world of Narnia.
    — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Although the story of Odysseus binding himself to the mast to resist the Sirens’ song may belong to the mythical imagination, plenty of desperate souls have gone to heroic lengths to obstruct their wayward desires.
    — Meghan O’Gieblyn, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of mythical
Adjective
  • The name traces back to Mary Jane, a fictional character in Richard Felton Outcault’s Buster Brown comic strip which debuted in 1902, who often appeared wearing the now iconic shoe style.
    — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Sep. 2026
  • But while the series is set in a fictional New England island community, many of its recognizable sights can be found just an hour north of Boston in Rockport, Massachusetts.
    — Aaron Parseghian, CBS News, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of fictional
Adjective
  • There have been 28 years between the two films, but in the narrative of the fictitious Owens sisters, only about 10 years should have passed.
    — Danielle Pergament, Allure, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Inspectors have found hundreds of allegedly fictitious facilities, while at least 833 kitchens have been shut down for failing to meet hygiene and sanitation standards.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Sep. 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
  • Johnson plays Monroe at the height of her fame while Burstyn stars as an imagined version of Monroe later in life.
    — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of imagined

Browse Nearby Words

phantasmal
phantasmic
phantasms
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Phantasmic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phantasmic. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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