Dictionary

unreal en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• ŭn-rēl'
• /ʌnˈɹi.əl/

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- Proto-Indo-European *-is Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Late Latin reālisder. Old French reelbor. Middle English real English real English unreal From un- + real.

Meanings

1. Not real or substantial; having no actual presence in reality; lacking the characteristics of reality.
   • The word ‘ivory’ rang in the air, was whispered, was sighed. You would think they were praying to it. A taint of imbecile rapacity blew through it all, like a whiff from some corpse. By Jove! I’ve never seen anything so unreal in my life. 1899 February, Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXV, number M, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], →OCLC, part I, page 212:
   • "The Boy's Uncle made me Real," he said. "That was a great many years ago; but once you are Real you can't become unreal again. It lasts for always." 1921 June, Margery Williams, “The Velveteen Rabbit: Or How Toys Become Real”, in Harper’s Bazar, volume LVI, number 6 (2504 overall), New York, N.Y.: International Magazine Company, →ISSN, →OCLC:
2. (informal) very impressive; amazing; unbelievable; incredible; larger or more fantastic than typical of real life.
   • “Yeah, she does have a certain mental toughness that is unreal,” agreed Berto. “I really don't think of her as a girl, I mean, it's like she's a tough buddy or tough sister to me.” 2012, Thomas Maul, Manila Demon, page 102:
   • "She just set me up" "Now that's unreal, man. I mean, we're talking about a fairly considerable sum here, aren't we, Dexter?" "Listen to me. She set me up, with a dude she was cheatin' on me with 1995, Sam Reaves, Get What's Coming, page 60:
   • I just had an unreal hamburger.
   • He stops his cab at every traffic light, unrolls his window and calls out to the other drivers: "I've got a movie star in the car! Follow me down to see her come out. She is unreal, man! I am in seventh heaven! I have a dream!" 1990, Eurydice, F/32, page 205:
   • He walks around and tries to pluck a flower on the ground. david exclaims, “Holy shit, this is unreal! i can feel the flower, the heat from the sun, and i can even hear the wind! The smells are so vibrant! How could i possibly be smelling flowers? 2011, John Adrian Tomlin, The Imaginarium Machine, page 13:
   • The video includes unreal footage of an eight-metre wave.

Forms

Antonyms

real (antonym(s) of)

Deriveds

unrealize · unreal mode · unreally · unrealness

Synonyms

insubstantial

Translations (59)

bg недействи́телен (not real) · ml അയഥാർത്ഥ (not real) · it irreale (not real) · ca irreal (not real) · et ebatõeline (not real) · el φανταστικός (not real) · nl irreëel (not real) · nn uverkeleg (not real) · sl nestvaren (not real) · eo nereala (not real) · ja 非現実的な (not real) · el ανύπαρκτος (not real) · sa असत् (not real) · pt irreal (not real) · ko 비현실적 (not real) · be нерэа́льны (not real) · tr gerçek dışı (not real) · ro nereal (not real) · be несапра́ўдны (not real) · nb uvirkelig (not real) · mi mariko (not real) · pl nierealny (not real) · ru ненастоя́щий (not real) · ru нереа́льный (not real) · is ímyndaður (not real) · sh nȅreālan (not real) · ka არანამდვილი (not real) · pl nierzeczywisty (not real) · uk неспра́вжній (not real) · da uvirkelig (not real) · lt nerealus (not real) · hu nem valódi (not real) · cy afreal (not real) · lv ireāls (not real) · bg нереа́лен (not real) · hi अवास्तविक (not real) · ml മിഥ്യ (not real) · lv nereāls (not real) · de unwirklich (not real) · ka არარეალური (not real) · sk neskutočný (not real) · fi epätodellinen (not real) · sv overklig (not real) · de irreal (not real) · bg въобража́ем (not real) · sh не̏реа̄лан (not real) · mk нереален (not real) · pl umowny (not real) · sh nȅstvāran (not real) · sh не̏ства̄ран (not real) · sl neresničen (not real) · nl onwerkelijk (not real) · cmn 不真實的 /不真实的 (not real) · cs neskutečný (not real) · sk nereálny (not real) · uk нереа́льний (not real) · es irreal (not real) · fr irréel (not real) · is óraunverulegur (not real)