1
as in ridiculous
not likely to occur in the real world
The movie's unrealistic dialogue kept distracting me from the story.
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2
as in unreasonable
based on what is wanted or hoped for rather than on what is possible or likely
He had unrealistic expectations about the type of apartment he could afford on his meager salary. The valuation placed on this company is completely unrealistic.
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Recent Examples of unrealistic
The unrealistic expectations lead to premature burnout or firings and a troubling question.
—
Matt Baker, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
As unrealistic as that may sound, it’s made plausible by plans to build AI agents that work independently and interact with other AI agents.
—IEEE Spectrum, 1 Oct. 2025
Financial models that were tied to a $550 million project cost can be untethered from unrealistic assumptions needed to recoup expenses.
—Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Sep. 2025
This season has brought constant adversity, and while Breslow has done his best to project a sense of confidence, there had to have been times where a celebration like this may have seemed unrealistic.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 27 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unrealistic
Matt Baker, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
As unrealistic as that may sound, it’s made plausible by plans to build AI agents that work independently and interact with other AI agents.
—IEEE Spectrum, 1 Oct. 2025
Financial models that were tied to a $550 million project cost can be untethered from unrealistic assumptions needed to recoup expenses.
—Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Sep. 2025
This season has brought constant adversity, and while Breslow has done his best to project a sense of confidence, there had to have been times where a celebration like this may have seemed unrealistic.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 27 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unrealistic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unrealistic
Adjective
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Trump filed a bogus lawsuit against the company that pivoted on the ridiculous claim that YouTube was a secret agent of the Biden administration.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
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For those who tire of driving something ridiculous-looking on paved roads, good news!—
Sean Evans,
Robb Report,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Many of our technologies are built on the not-unreasonable assumption that openness is good, and that more common knowledge is better.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
14 Oct. 2025
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Each side of the issue argues that the other is unreasonable and operating in bad faith.—
Taylor Seely,
AZCentral.com,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The Billboard Hall of Fame Award celebrates a career that extends beyond musical performance and takes into account the incredible influence the recipient enjoys as an artist globally in multiple fields, according to a press release.—
Griselda Flores,
Billboard,
14 Oct. 2025
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That could be with an incredible craftsman who makes a perfect mattress for a great night’s sleep, for example.—
Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Poetry brings hope, not an irrational optimism or wishful thinking, but a positive orientation to the future, of what a better, healthier future would look like.—
K.J.S. “Sunny” Anand,
Time,
15 Oct. 2025
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Marks believes that investor optimism doesn’t automatically signal irrational exuberance.—
Yun Li,
CNBC,
13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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This would be an absurd show of force, and totally uncalled for during a government shutdown when members of the military cannot even get a paycheck.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
16 Oct. 2025
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Knightley and Pearce coast and their characters never come alive and resort to doing silly things at this misfire’s absurd, regrettable finale.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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This made real-time speech recognition impractical.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Oct. 2025
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Stanley, the spokesman for WSPA, said the refinery rules and other measures were impractical.—
CalMatters,
Mercury News,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The less light pollution, the better; a shower like this one that's rich in faint meteors is especially hard hit by artificial skyglow.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
17 Oct. 2025
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Engineers are experimenting with artificial gravity, such as spinning spacecraft to generate centrifugal force.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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But the tone swings between sour and sweet, grounded and silly, and the jokes run more broadly wacky than precise or original.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Oct. 2025
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In my eyes, much of the charm of a craft brewer is a willingness to be a little silly.—
Bradley Hohulin,
IndyStar,
13 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unrealistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unrealistic. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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