Thesaurus.com
Dictionary.com
Definitions

unreal

[uhn-ree-uhl, -reel] / ʌnˈri əl, -ˈril /
ADJECTIVE
fake, make-believe; hypothetical
Synonyms
STRONGEST
dreamlike false fanciful hallucinatory illusory immaterial unbelievable
STRONG
artificial insubstantial unsubstantial
WEAK
aerial chimerical delusive fabled fabulous fictitious fictive figmental ideal imaginary imagined impalpable insincere intangible invented legendary misleading mock mythical nebulous nonexistent notional ostensible phantasmagoric pretended seeming sham storybook suppositious supposititious theoretical visionary
Antonyms
STRONGEST
actual authentic genuine real

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“I love to find products that are unreal and need someone with vision or guts to be able to bring it to market,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

"I remember how unreal it all felt, and that we were still in a state of shock," she says.

From BBC • Mar. 5, 2026

Those glimpses of humanity had a way of rendering the mercenary atmosphere in the tent city incredibly disorienting—almost unreal.

From Slate • Feb. 23, 2026

But the characters are expressive, and the medium is used to unreal ends, which is, after all, what cartoons are good for.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 20, 2026

I tried to form words, to come up with some sort of answer to her questions, but the whole situation was too unreal.

From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia