1
as in ridiculous
not likely to occur in the real world
The movie's unrealistic dialogue kept distracting me from the story.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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.
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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 unrealistic
These misconceptions, often fueled by unrealistic expectations from romantic movies and social media, can undermine even the strongest relationships.
—
Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
The pair initially considered their house out of budget but quickly realized their ceiling of $450,000 was unrealistic for the neighborhood, especially when housing inventory was so low and homes for sale were receiving multiple offers.
—Lizzie Kane, Boston Herald, 19 Sep. 2025
Senate Republicans dismissed the Democratic plan as unrealistic and blocked the measure in a party-line vote on Friday.
—Nik Popli, Time, 19 Sep. 2025
So sick of ridiculous unrealistic expectations of aging.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unrealistic
Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
The pair initially considered their house out of budget but quickly realized their ceiling of $450,000 was unrealistic for the neighborhood, especially when housing inventory was so low and homes for sale were receiving multiple offers.
—Lizzie Kane, Boston Herald, 19 Sep. 2025
Senate Republicans dismissed the Democratic plan as unrealistic and blocked the measure in a party-line vote on Friday.
—Nik Popli, Time, 19 Sep. 2025
So sick of ridiculous unrealistic expectations of aging.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unrealistic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unrealistic
Adjective
-
That was only the start of a ridiculous inning where the Guardians scored three runs despite not hitting a ball out of the infield.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
24 Sep. 2025
-
There are so many high-profile and politically exposed kids there that the whole school has ridiculous security provisions already.—
Lea Veloso,
StyleCaster,
22 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Sales goals have proven unreasonable.—
James Raia,
Mercury News,
21 Sep. 2025
-
If a person’s disability is disturbing or harming other residents, allowing that disturbance to continue could be an unreasonable accommodation and therefore not protected by Fair Housing laws.—
Kelly G. Richardson,
Oc Register,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Paris Hilton's documentary was incredible.—
Senior Editor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
-
He's got this incredible relationship with his younger brother.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Consciousness, human life, utterly in the grip of its own dreamlife, all our thinking and voicing caught in a web of surreal distortion, generated by our irrational yearning and apprehensions, our appetite for myth, our solipsism.—
Jane Ciabattari
September 25,
Literary Hub,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Still, Williams is quick to defend the character’s seemingly irrational actions, reminding us how Rain’s past experiences inform her present-day motivations.—
Andy Swift,
TVLine,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
But the true spectacle, his essence, is watching Hardy barge to an absurd-but-revealing 485 yards after contact and what that’s creating.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
25 Sep. 2025
-
This remake is most curious for the contrast—Cervantes’ novel is thought to be the first realist piece of literature, where Rushdie’s update is decidedly absurd.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
In vacuum and one-sixth gravity, lubricants boil off, moving parts behave differently, and remote or autonomous operation is necessary because of the time delay between Earth and Moon, which makes real-time teleoperation impractical.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Unfortunately, some of these tests are impractical and risk causing real-world harm.—
Matthew Hutson,
IEEE Spectrum,
22 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
By springtime, the lingering sight of the giant artificial tree — still decked out in blinking lights and a red bow — was drawing attention on social media and causing concern for the mall's future.—
JC Reindl,
Freep.com,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Surgeons and doctors often rely on artificial models to practice delicate procedures.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Teenagers with faces painted green — some with blow up green sumo-wrestler suits — and mountains of silly string take over the streets.—
Manal Albarakati,
semafor.com,
22 Sep. 2025
-
What made the moment extra-special, though, was seeing Noah's silly side shine through.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unrealistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unrealistic. Accessed 28 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share