VISIONARY Synonyms: 192 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'visionary' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of visionary are chimerical , fanciful , fantastic , imaginary , and quixotic . While all these words mean "unreal or unbelievable," visionary stresses impracticality or incapability of realization. // visionary schemes

Q: How is 'chimerical' related to other words for 'visionary'?

Chimerical combines the implication of visionary and fantastic . // chimerical dreams of future progress

Q: When might 'fanciful' be a better fit than 'visionary'?

In some situations, the words fanciful and visionary are roughly equivalent. However, fanciful suggests the free play of the imagination. // a teller of fanciful stories

Q: When can 'fantastic' be used instead of 'visionary'?

The meanings of fantastic and visionary largely overlap; however, fantastic implies incredibility or strangeness beyond belief. // a fantastic world inhabited by monsters

Q: When is 'imaginary' a more appropriate choice than 'visionary'?

Although the words imaginary and visionary have much in common, imaginary applies to something which is fictitious and purely the product of one's imagination. // an imaginary desert isle

Q: When could 'quixotic' be used to replace 'visionary'?

While in some cases nearly identical to visionary , quixotic implies a devotion to romantic or chivalrous ideals unrestrained by ordinary prudence and common sense. // a quixotic crusade

visionary 1 of 2

adjective

ˈvi-zhə-ˌner-ē

Definition of visionary

as in romantic

having or marked by a tendency to be guided more by ideals than by reality a visionary plan for a manned flight to Mars even though there are pressing problems right here on earth

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as in fictional

not real and existing only in the imagination one of several Christian saints who claimed to have had visionary experiences of hell

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as in cautious

having or showing awareness of and preparation for the future in a visionary move, the developer bought large tracts of the waterfront just before property values skyrocketed

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

visionary

2 of 2

noun

as in diviner

one who predicts future events or developments according to Greek myth, Cassandra was a visionary who was endowed with the gift of inerrant prophecy but fated to never be believed

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as in dreamer

one whose conduct is guided more by the image of perfection than by the real world 19th-century visionaries who founded short-lived communities in which everyone was supposed to live in perfect peace and harmony

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective visionary contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of visionary are chimerical, fanciful, fantastic, imaginary, and quixotic. While all these words mean "unreal or unbelievable," visionary stresses impracticality or incapability of realization.

visionary schemes

How is chimerical related to other words for visionary?

Chimerical combines the implication of visionary and fantastic.

chimerical dreams of future progress

When might fanciful be a better fit than visionary?

In some situations, the words fanciful and visionary are roughly equivalent. However, fanciful suggests the free play of the imagination.

a teller of fanciful stories

When can fantastic be used instead of visionary?

The meanings of fantastic and visionary largely overlap; however, fantastic implies incredibility or strangeness beyond belief.

a fantastic world inhabited by monsters

When is imaginary a more appropriate choice than visionary?

Although the words imaginary and visionary have much in common, imaginary applies to something which is fictitious and purely the product of one's imagination.

an imaginary desert isle

When could quixotic be used to replace visionary?

While in some cases nearly identical to visionary, quixotic implies a devotion to romantic or chivalrous ideals unrestrained by ordinary prudence and common sense.

a quixotic crusade

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 visionary

Adjective

As her paintings are visionary statements providing mysterious insights into the inner life of an artist, so, too, is Lee Krasner a visionary and a revolutionary personality as a woman. — Barbara Rose, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2026 Faith has achieved all of this in a town where the most boundary-pushing, visionary works and artists aren’t always the ones most celebrated on Music Row. — Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2026

Noun

The award celebrates true visionaries, artists who break barriers, redefine standards and leave an indelible mark on the music industry. — Sigal Ratner-Arias, Billboard, 5 Oct. 2026 Throughout history, successful visionaries have seen something in products or services in the raw stages that was unseen by others. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for visionary

Recent Examples of Synonyms for visionary

Adjective

People love spy stories, but there is nothing amusing, or romantic, about this one.

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 17 Oct. 2026
The romantic Turing Test When Franky Vergara’s cousin asked him how to respond to a flirtatious Hinge message, Vergara, a 23-year-old living in San Diego, didn’t know how to help.

— Sneha Dhandapani, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of romantic

Adjective

Gascón will play Manuela, a teacher in an elite school, and Ituño the the role of Evita, the personal secretary to the prime minister of the series’ fictional country.

— Annika Pham, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
The series takes place during the fictional two-term Democratic administration of President Josiah Bartlet, played by Martin Sheen.

— Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of fictional

Noun

Ancient Chinese scholars made records of solar eclipses, and diviners made prophecies during these auspicious events.

— Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 6 Aug. 2026
While often presented as the act of using beauty practices to manifest your desires, diviner and spiritual wellness teacher Tatianna Tarot would caution against getting too attached to semantics.

— Essence, Essence, 23 Nov. 2025

Definition of diviner

Noun

Djrum himself might even approve of taking in the mix from a horizontal position; his set is designed more for the dreamer than for the raver.

— Ben Cardew, Pitchfork, 17 Oct. 2026
The youth of the country, along with some dreamers and fighters, were the ones pushing it forward little by little.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of dreamer

Adjective

Wearing impractical stilettos and clutching a massive Stanley cup, Trina is introduced to her new pupils.

— Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Their potential applications include modeling advanced materials and chemical reactions, optimizing complex logistics networks and addressing some computational problems that are impractical for today’s systems.

— Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of impractical

Adjective

Waller is one of the NFL’s few mythical figures — one whose story precedes his stats, whose name supersedes his acclaim.

— Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2026
With the season’s final two episodes not provided to critics, there’s no way to say yet whether The Lowdown achieves that mythical outcome of all mystery seasons, the Finale That Pulls It All Together.

— Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of mythical

Adjective

Full-scale, 10-foot Hulk standins helped actors and camera crews judge his dimensions on set, and even his pants required careful attention.

— Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Turning a field into a recognizable maze requires specialized planning and careful execution.

— Alexa Liacko, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of careful

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“Visionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/visionary. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of visionary

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noun

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