UNREALISTIC Synonyms: 83 Similar and Opposite Words

unrealistic

adjective

Definition of unrealistic

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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Dissimilar Words

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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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 Scorsese’s lawyers countersued, argued that Afram was a newcomer to the industry with unrealistic expectations. — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 30 July 2026 Further, the notion of a transfer portal, allowing college athletes to move an unlimited number of times in pursuit of more NIL money offered by programs, would have seemed unrealistic and harmful to higher education. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 28 July 2026 Why venture his name unsolicited except to affirm, once again, the FIGC’s unrealistic ambitions? — James Horncastle, New York Times, 28 July 2026 That company floundered in the pandemic, but Speier continued to make unrealistic promises to customers. — Julia Coin july 24, Charlotte Observer, 24 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for unrealistic

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unrealistic

Adjective

In fact, a Texas jury once found that an alligator mascot infringed the beaver, so nobody should assume a judge shares their sense of the ridiculous.

— Roger Dooley, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Throughout the evacuation, Olya fixates on the fact that men aged 18 to 60 are barred from leaving, all the while wearing a ridiculous big fluffy hat that seems to protect her more from the societal meltdown around her than from the cold.

— Sonya Vseliubska, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of ridiculous

Adjective

Which is not entirely unreasonable given this very specific set of circumstances.

— Brian Grubb, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2026
Recalls are issued when vehicle owners, regulators, or manufacturers determine that a potentially faulty component presents an unreasonable safety risk or fails to meet specified standards.

— Jim Gorzelany, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

Definition of unreasonable

Adjective

For all the film focuses on Carlson’s irrational attempts to peg the murder on gay people, the actual gay man Tom disappears from the narrative for long periods of time.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 31 July 2026
Retailers’ reputations as poor environments for technology innovation is not unjustified, but their behavior is not completely irrational either.

— Richard Kestenbaum, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026

Definition of irrational

Adjective

Below, shop nine incredible beauty products straight from her shelf and prepare to get healthy, smooth, and absolutely glowing skin.

— Olivia Cefalu, InStyle, 9 Aug. 2026
Esponda almost came off the beam on two occasions, but showed incredible fight to salvage the routine.

— Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of incredible

Adjective

Other models, like Dive-LD and Dive-XL, are used to map the seafloor and perform missions that are too dangerous or impractical for human divers.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026
The alternatives to dealing with this problem would be redesigning airports (impractical and expensive) or restricting flight schedules (really expensive), so Airbus wants to make the new wings foldable.

— David Szondy August 04, New Atlas, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of impractical

Adjective

Every season of Strange New Worlds has featured at least one episode that emphasizes Star Trek’s silly side (and this may not be the last such outing in season four).

— Keith Phipps, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2026
The silly yellow fruit that became a part of their culture was freighted, from the start, with suggestive meaning.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of silly

Adjective

Some studies suggest artificial sweeteners may affect the brain in a way similar to sugar, which could make foods more appealing.

— Lindsey DeSoto, HEALTH, 4 Aug. 2026
This aligns with decades of cognitive research that claims learning is more than simply receiving information—especially when that information feels artificial.

— James Davis, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of artificial

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unrealistic

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“Unrealistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unrealistic. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of unrealistic

adjective

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