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Synonyms

phantasmal

American  
[fan-taz-muhl] / fænˈtæz məl /
Also phantasmic,

adjective

  1. pertaining to or of the nature of a phantasm; unreal; illusory; spectral.

    phantasmal creatures of nightmare.


Other Word Forms


Etymology

Origin of phantasmal

First recorded in 1805–15; phantasm + -al 1


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.

See Examples For:

This phantasmal region holds a particular lure for Osborn—not simply to uncover its hidden biodiversity but also to find out how living things can survive such extreme conditions.

From National Geographic ● Feb. 13, 2024

That phantasmal sound, that subliminal beat, untethered to time but bound to the Earth, informed Gay’s approach to the album.

From Washington Post ● Nov. 18, 2021

In these phantasmal moments there was also a certain practicality.

From The New Yorker ● Mar. 4, 2019

After his 1865 assassination, Lincoln apparently joined his son in his phantasmal roaming.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 31, 2017

As dawn washed the darkness from the sky, the shattered glacier was revealed to be a three-dimensional landscape of phantasmal beauty.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

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