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.

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Other Word Forms

• phantasmality noun
• phantasmally adverb
• phantasmatically adverb
• phantasmically adverb

Etymology

Origin of phantasmal

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

Example Sentences

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

Dozens of Airbnb listings advertise phantasmal experiences as well, such as a “second-floor haunted oasis” or a “Phantoms Lair.”

From Seattle Times • Oct. 26, 2022

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

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