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.
"We know basketball is huge in America, obviously not so much in the UK. It was unreal… I might even start following basketball now because of it."
From BBC • Jun. 19, 2026
Others, however, warn that the fluid nature of filmmaking makes rigid eight-hour shifts "unreal" to enforce on mega-budget sets.
From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026
Roman Dubowski said winning the ITV game show, which is hosted by Jeremy Clarkson, was "unreal", adding that he "had to have a cup of tea" afterwards and "let it sink in".
From BBC • Apr. 26, 2026
It still feels unreal to Small that her album generates revenue.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
Under a cloudless blue sky stretched a breath-taking glittering universe, carved of dazzling white coral, unreal and silent.
From "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare
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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.