unreal
Americanadjective
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not real or actual.
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imaginary; fanciful; illusory; delusory; fantastic.
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lacking in truth; not genuine; false; artificial.
unreal propaganda serving as news.
adjective
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imaginary or fanciful or seemingly so
an unreal situation
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having no actual existence or substance
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insincere or artificial
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unreal
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.
Hypnopompic hallucinations are what specialists call the unreal things people see or hear during the transition from sleep to waking.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
On the other hand, the fact that Warren is so annoying reminds us that unreal people can elicit genuine repulsion.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
That does not mean James believes decisions are unreal.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026
"It is unreal and a dream come true," Irankunda said shortly after full-time.
From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026
She did not know that things had come to this; in Nsukka, life was insular and the news was unreal, functioning only as fodder for the evening talk, for Odenigbo’s rants and impassioned articles.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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.
