unreal

adjective

un·​re·​al ˌən-ˈrē(-ə)l How to pronounce unreal (audio)
Synonyms of unrealnext
: lacking in reality, substance, or genuineness : artificial, illusory
also : incredible, fantastic

Synonyms of unreal

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of unreal in a Sentence

The town seemed as unreal as a movie set. The fashion model looked unreal, like a doll. I think it's unreal that he survived the accident.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
As on television, Seyfried nails Holmes’s wide eyes, unsteady mannerisms, deep voice, and mysterious vocal cadence that makes the character both unreal and oddly human. — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2026 But animation is just so much more expressive, so much more information can be carried through color and line size and boldness and the kind of unreal physicality that nonetheless conveys real emotion. — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 13 Oct. 2026 Even then, their triumph is far from assured; the climb becomes more unreal in its harshness. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026 The dark vision of what California is in the Musk-ian or Miller-ist worldview is unreal and inaccurate. — Daniel Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unreal

Word History

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unreal was in 1605

Rhymes for unreal

See All Rhymes for unreal

Browse Nearby Words

unready
unreal
unrealism
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unreal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unreal. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

unreal

adjective
un·​re·​al ˌən-ˈrē(-ə)l How to pronounce unreal (audio)
-ˈri(-ə)l, 
ˈən-
1
: not real, actual, or genuine : illusory
2
: fantastic sense 2
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of fervid

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

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

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
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
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All