realistic

adjective

ˌrē-ə-ˈli-stik How to pronounce realistic (audio)
Definition of realisticnext
1
as in pragmatic
willing to see things as they really are and deal with them sensibly high schoolers who need to be more realistic in their career choices, as so few people end up as rock stars

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in living
closely resembling the object imitated those special effects look really realistic—I'd never guess they were all computer-generated

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 realistic But, given what happened in New York, what were the realistic expectations in Tampa Bay? — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026 In addition to generating social media posts and marketing content, it’s also supposed to create realistic scenes, digital art, environmental imagery, and more. — Emma Roth, The Verge, 22 Oct. 2026 For all its tests, the company builds realistic simulated environments, red teams these environments itself and with third parties to see whether they can be escaped, and monitors what agents do. — Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026 The practical challenge of creating a realistic shooting environment for this truly wild and singular experience is one thing. — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for realistic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for realistic
  1. pragmatic
  2. living
  3. practical
  4. naturalistic
  5. lifelike
  6. natural
  7. vivid
  8. three-dimensional
Adjective
  • Start with the community With a pragmatic and fair approach, data center infrastructure can operate from a combination of baseload fuels, battery storage, and renewables, while prioritizing community needs and impacts.
    — Neil Chatterjee, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • These are typically gift boxes of coffee or tea, or elegant but pragmatic items, such as high-quality towels or soaps, sent within a few weeks of the funeral.
    — Mimi Hanaoka, The Conversation, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of pragmatic
Adjective
  • The Luxury Pillow keeps your head and neck in the ideal position to stay asleep all night, made with soft bamboo viscose material that naturally repels common household non-living allergens.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • To overcome these limitations, the UMass Amherst researchers adopted a different approach, inspired by how living organisms distribute energy production throughout their tissues.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of living
Adjective
  • So the theoretical maximum is 256 ESSMs rather than 64 missiles, although a practical loadout would probably mix missile types.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Join Fortune‘s Sam Birchall and a group of CFOs on Wednesday 28th October to discuss practical perspectives on strengthening capability, continuity, and long-term resilience in finance.
    — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of practical
Adjective
  • Oakley also brings a welcome naturalistic feel to a script by Diana Reid, with a strong sense of nature itself but also the reality of economic hardship — or what stands for economic hardship in an Austen novel.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • There is a naturalistic aesthetic to the film, augmented by the locations, the costumes and the hair and makeup design.
    — Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of naturalistic
Adjective
  • Highlights of the production will include a lifelike puppet portraying Toto, eight dancers taking flight (the most of any KC Ballet production) and ruby slippers adorned with 288 jewels.
    — Dan Kelly October 15, Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Samsung The Samsung 65-inch Class QN70H Series Neo 4K Smart TV delivers a breathtaking home theater experience using Quantum Mini LED technology for exceptional brightness, deep contrast, and lifelike colors.
    — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of lifelike
Adjective
  • This would've already been an abnormal natural hot spell on top of a huge amount of climate change, Barnes said.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • After 100,000 years, radiation levels will decay back to those of natural uranium ore.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of natural
Adjective
  • Exotic was shot during a recent real-life edition of a pole-dancing Exo Stars Camp featuring real participants and instructors, maintaining the authenticity of this vivid bubble.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Maybe the most vivid reminder was what happened after a similarly depressing defeat in 2021 in the last game in which Mahomes played and the Chiefs managed only a field goal.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of vivid
Adjective
  • Tokamaks rely partly on electric currents flowing through the plasma to help keep it confined, while stellarators use complex arrangements of external magnetic coils to create a three-dimensional magnetic field.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The team collected samples and filmed the plume with an underwater drone to make a three-dimensional map.
    — Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of three-dimensional

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Cite this Entry

“Realistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/realistic. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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