photo-realistic

adjective

as in realistic
closely resembling the object imitated photo-realistic portraits of birds that caused some gallerygoers to forget that they were looking at paintings

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 photo-realistic When Tez’s narration fails to fully visualize an incident or an idea, the documentary relies on animation from Office of Development and Design, imagery that alternates between borderline photo-realistic and hallucinatory, depending on the need. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2026 Meanwhile, photo-realistic images are equally deceptive. — Tamilla Triantoro, The Conversation, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for photo-realistic
  1. realistic
  2. living
  3. naturalistic
  4. lifelike
  5. natural
Adjective
  • There was a lot of work on the medical cases to make the investigations complex and realistic, but there was also an entry point built around a strong, funny, unpleasant character, completely at odds with her return to her roots.
    — Roberto Prieto, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026
  • To be a realistic contender, the defense has to be much better.
    — Zak Keefer, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of realistic
Adjective
  • Communal living can look like co-living – where people choose to live with others in one house or building – or co-housing – which is a community built around a group of houses.
    — Brittany Luse, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026
  • For now, Rooral only operates in Benarraba, but similar programs are starting to pop up across Spain—like Anceu, which offers a rural co-living program in Galicia.
    — Liz Provencher, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of living
Adjective
  • The result is a twisted, naturalistic fairytale about structural realities; with the right boot-heel at one’s neck, even ostensibly life-giving forces like forests and rivers can be turned against innocent people.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
  • There’s enough footage from the prior films to get you up to speed quickly, and none of the individual story arcs matter nearly as much as the larger sense that each season of human life is worthy of its own naturalistic exploration.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of naturalistic
Adjective
  • From artwork and tattoos to lifelike casts and preservation, here are some unique ways to memorialize a once-in-a-lifetime pet.
    — Yvonne Villasenor, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Every scene is optimized in real time for infinite contrast, deep blacks, and lifelike highlight detail without blooming.
    — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of lifelike
Adjective
  • Let your confidence come through in choices that feel honest and natural.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 7 Sep. 2026
  • After phasing it out in 2022, the brand brought back the original formula last year in response to fans who missed its weightless feel and natural-looking medium coverage.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of natural

Browse Nearby Words

photo-realism
photo-realistic
photos
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Photo-realistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/photo-realistic. Accessed 11 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of patina

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All