adjective
-
wildly fanciful; imaginary
-
given to or indulging in fantasies
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of chimerical
Explanation
Use the adjective chimerical to describe something that is wildly fanciful or imaginative — like the chimerical illustrations of magical creatures in a children's book. A chimera was a fire-breathing monster from Greek mythology made from three different animals: a lion at its head, a goat in the middle, and a serpent at the end. The first surviving mention of the beast is in Homer's The Iliad. From this fantastical creature, English created the adjective chimerical to describe wild figments of the imagination.
Vocabulary lists containing chimerical
Frankenstein
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
100 SAT words Beginning with "C"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Simon's Saga," Vocabulary from Episode 7
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
It’s simply a reminder that — not only for gay art but for art, full stop — commerical failure has often been a sign of creative success.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 5, 2022
The 34 banks suffered heavy losses in this year's scenario, which saw the economy contract 3.5%, driven in part by a slump in commerical real estate asset values, and the jobless rate jumping to 10%.
From Reuters • Jun. 23, 2022
It is now a commerical airport and business centre, with call centres, hotels and restaurants.
From The Guardian • Mar. 2, 2019
Your little room may reek a bit, but with this commerical, the company comes out smelling pretty good.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 5, 2017
"They," he said-meaning me, "have unusual business capacity, and are destined to be leaders in great commerical enterprises."
From The Holiday Round by Milne, A. A. (Alan Alexander)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
