Standard Lemma guide

unreal

adj · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • ŭn-rēl'
  • /ʌnˈɹi.əl/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -iːəl
  • CMU ARPABET: AH0 N R IY1 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Not real or substantial; having no actual presence in reality; lacking the characteristics of reality.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

very impressive; amazing; unbelievable; incredible; larger or more fantastic than typical of real life.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

Examples

  • The video includes unreal footage of an eight-metre wave.
  • I just had an unreal hamburger.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective

Meaning 3

lacking material form or substance; unreal

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • as insubstantial as a dream
  • an insubstantial mirage on the horizon

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: insubstantial, unsubstantial

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective

Meaning 4

contrived by art rather than nature

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • artificial flowers
  • artificial flavoring
  • an artificial diamond
  • artificial fibers
  • artificial sweeteners

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: artificial

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective

Meaning 5

lacking in reality or substance or genuineness; not corresponding to acknowledged facts or criteria

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • ghosts and other unreal entities
  • unreal propaganda serving as news

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: real

6

adjective

Meaning 6

not actually such; being or seeming fanciful or imaginary

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • this conversation is getting more and more unreal
  • the fantastically unreal world of government bureaucracy
  • the unreal world of advertising art

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: real(a)

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Germanic *un- Proto-West Germanic *un- Old English un- Middle English un- English un- Proto-Indo-European *(H)reh1-der. Proto-Indo-European *(H)reh1ís Proto-Italic *reis Classical Latin rēs Proto-Indo-European *h2el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Late Latin reālisder. Old French reelbor. Middle English real English real English unreal From un- + real.

Across languages

Translations

59 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Belarusian: нерэа́льны (njereálʹny) — not real
  • Belarusian: несапра́ўдны (njesapráwdny) — not real
  • Bulgarian: нереа́лен (nereálen) — not real
  • Bulgarian: недействи́телен (nedejstvítelen) — not real
  • Bulgarian: въобража́ем (vǎobražáem) — not real
  • Catalan: irreal — not real
  • Chinese Mandarin: 不真實的 /不真实的 (bù zhēnshí de) — not real
  • Czech: neskutečný — not real
  • Danish: uvirkelig — not real
  • Dutch: onwerkelijk — not real
  • Dutch: irreëel — not real
  • Esperanto: nereala — not real
  • Estonian: ebatõeline — not real
  • Finnish: epätodellinen — not real
  • French: irréel — not real
  • Georgian: არარეალური (ararealuri) — not real
  • Georgian: არანამდვილი (aranamdvili) — not real
  • German: unwirklich — not real
  • German: irreal — not real
  • Greek: ανύπαρκτος (anýparktos) — not real
  • Greek: φανταστικός (fantastikós) — not real
  • Hindi: अवास्तविक (avāstavik) — not real
  • Hungarian: nem valódi — not real
  • Icelandic: óraunverulegur — not real
  • Icelandic: ímyndaður — not real
  • Italian: irreale — not real
  • Japanese: 非現実的な (higenjitsuteki na) — not real
  • Korean: 비현실적 (bihyeonsiljeok) — not real
  • Latvian: nereāls — not real
  • Latvian: ireāls — not real
  • Lithuanian: nerealus — not real
  • Macedonian: нереален (nerealen) — not real
  • Malayalam: അയഥാർത്ഥ (ayathāṟttha) — not real
  • Malayalam: മിഥ്യ (mithya) — not real
  • Māori: mariko — not real
  • Norwegian Bokmål: uvirkelig — not real
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: uverkeleg — not real
  • Polish: nierealny — not real
  • Polish: nierzeczywisty — not real
  • Polish: umowny — not real
  • Portuguese: irreal — not real
  • Romanian: nereal — not real
  • Russian: нереа́льный (nereálʹnyj) — not real
  • Russian: ненастоя́щий (nenastojáščij) — not real
  • Sanskrit: असत् (asat) — not real
  • Serbo-Croatian: не̏реа̄лан — not real
  • Serbo-Croatian: не̏ства̄ран — not real
  • Serbo-Croatian: nȅreālan — not real
  • Serbo-Croatian: nȅstvāran — not real
  • Slovak: neskutočný — not real
  • Slovak: nereálny — not real
  • Slovene: neresničen — not real
  • Slovene: nestvaren — not real
  • Spanish: irreal — not real
  • Swedish: overklig — not real
  • Turkish: gerçek dışı — not real
  • Ukrainian: нереа́льний (nereálʹnyj) — not real
  • Ukrainian: неспра́вжній (nesprávžnij) — not real
  • Welsh: afreal — not real
Real reading context

unreal in complete knowledge articles