IMAGINARY Synonyms: 73 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'imaginary' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of imaginary are chimerical , fanciful , fantastic , quixotic , and visionary . While all these words mean "unreal or unbelievable," imaginary applies to something which is fictitious and purely the product of one's imagination. // an imaginary desert isle

Q: How does the word 'chimerical' relate to other synonyms for 'imaginary'?

Chimerical combines the implication of visionary and fantastic . // chimerical dreams of future progress

Q: In what contexts can 'fanciful' take the place of 'imaginary'?

In some situations, the words fanciful and imaginary are roughly equivalent. However, fanciful suggests the free play of the imagination. // a teller of fanciful stories

Q: When is it sensible to use 'fantastic' instead of 'imaginary'?

The words fantastic and imaginary can be used in similar contexts, but fantastic implies incredibility or strangeness beyond belief. // a fantastic world inhabited by monsters

Q: When could 'quixotic' be used to replace 'imaginary'?

Although the words quixotic and imaginary have much in common, quixotic implies a devotion to romantic or chivalrous ideals unrestrained by ordinary prudence and common sense. // a quixotic crusade

Q: When is 'visionary' a more appropriate choice than 'imaginary'?

While in some cases nearly identical to imaginary , visionary stresses impracticality or incapability of realization. // visionary schemes

imaginary

adjective

i-ˈma-jə-ˌner-ē

Definition of imaginary

as in fictitious

not real and existing only in the imagination told by the psychologist that it was perfectly normal for their child to have an imaginary friend

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How does the adjective imaginary contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of imaginary are chimerical, fanciful, fantastic, quixotic, and visionary. While all these words mean "unreal or unbelievable," imaginary applies to something which is fictitious and purely the product of one's imagination.

an imaginary desert isle

How does the word chimerical relate to other synonyms for imaginary?

Chimerical combines the implication of visionary and fantastic.

chimerical dreams of future progress

In what contexts can fanciful take the place of imaginary?

In some situations, the words fanciful and imaginary are roughly equivalent. However, fanciful suggests the free play of the imagination.

a teller of fanciful stories

When is it sensible to use fantastic instead of imaginary?

The words fantastic and imaginary can be used in similar contexts, but fantastic implies incredibility or strangeness beyond belief.

a fantastic world inhabited by monsters

When could quixotic be used to replace imaginary?

Although the words quixotic and imaginary have much in common, quixotic implies a devotion to romantic or chivalrous ideals unrestrained by ordinary prudence and common sense.

a quixotic crusade

When is visionary a more appropriate choice than imaginary?

While in some cases nearly identical to imaginary, visionary stresses impracticality or incapability of realization.

visionary schemes

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of imaginary Growing up in a suburban area about 20 minutes from the Vermont border, Moales enjoyed getting lost in imaginary worlds. — Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2026 What matters most is being comfortably inside the path and away from the hard edges, not standing on an imaginary line drawn through its middle. — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 3 Oct. 2026 Each nutty denunciation of his imaginary tormentors includes a plea for a presidential pardon. — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 3 Oct. 2026 Forte_Forte For spring 2027, Giada Forte embarked on an imaginary journey inspired by the Spice Route, combining nods to destinations from Venice to Egypt to Morocco. — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for imaginary

Recent Examples of Synonyms for imaginary

Adjective

The Swiss manufacturer has just unveiled a new lineup of Seamaster Diver 300Ms inspired by James Bond and Spectre, the fictitious crime org seen in the 007 flicks.

— Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 5 Oct. 2026
The Russian security service’s Meliorator tool has been used to create over a thousand profiles of fictitious Americans, primarily on X (formerly Twitter), to spread Kremlin narratives at a fraction of the cost of human troll farms.

— Seva Gunitsky, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of fictitious

Adjective

Set in a small fictional town called Awatahi, the show explores the murder of 17-year-old Jodie Hunter.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026
People have since replaced the imp with fictional people like Sam and Dean Winchester and Wednesday Addams, public figures like Gypsy-Rose Blanchard and even mascots like Ronald McDonald.

— Angela Yang, NBC news, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of fictional

Adjective

Jennifer De Angelo Baxter sculpted green snake heads and a headpiece out of foam, aluminum foil and cardboard to conjure the mythical Greek monster Medusa.

— Dana Hedgpeth, Washington Post, 6 Oct. 2026
This coincidental trait inspired researchers to name the new genus Herugavialis after Heru, or Horus, the Egyptian god associated with the construction of the mythical creature.

— Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of mythical

Adjective

Drawn to the tactile and familiar qualities of paper, Teo uses playful forms and visual metaphors to transform everyday subjects and construct whimsical, imagined worlds.

— New York Times Games, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
The production was full of nostalgia for an imagined past when the small screen was more ascendant and apolitical, with tributes to Charlie’s Angels and Dolly Parton shirking any embrace of the form’s progressive history.

— Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of imagined

Adjective

Peter [Merry] likes to use is that, when a caterpillar is becoming a butterfly, new ‘imaginal cells’ emerge.

— Big Think, Big Think, 7 Aug. 2025
With one technique, for example—called imaginal exposure—you might be asked to visualize the process of going to the airport, boarding the plane, and experiencing a bad bout of turbulence.

— Angela Haupt, TIME, 10 May 2024

Definition of imaginal

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imaginary

imagination

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“Imaginary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imaginary. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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