UNREALISTIC Synonyms: 83 Similar and Opposite Words

unrealistic

adjective

Definition of unrealistic

as in ridiculous

not likely to occur in the real world The movie's unrealistic dialogue kept distracting me from the story.

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Dissimilar Words

as in unreasonable

based on what is wanted or hoped for rather than on what is possible or likely He had unrealistic expectations about the type of apartment he could afford on his meager salary. The valuation placed on this company is completely unrealistic.

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Dissimilar Words

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 unrealistic Musk has frequently set unrealistic timelines for projects, including putting a spacecraft on Mars by 2018. — Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 20 June 2026 Companies such as SpaceX succeeded partly because entrepreneurs like Musk were willing to risk billions of dollars on projects that many experts considered unrealistic. — Rainer Zitelmann, Fortune, 2 July 2026 Not only was the infant nutrition brand already familiar to the family, but its message about rejecting unrealistic expectations struck a chord with Madison during this season of motherhood. — Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 28 June 2026 Some of the blame for HALO's mismanagement falls on NASA, which the OIG memo says put unrealistic expectations on Northrop's progress. — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 26 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for unrealistic

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unrealistic

Adjective

Houssem Aouar finally spied a gap in the Austrian defence and sent Mahrez through to score, sparking jubilation before Sasa Kalajdzic’s header confirmed a ridiculous ending to a game that was dramatic, bleak and then dramatic again.

— Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 4 July 2026
This laptop can absolutely handle a ridiculous number of tabs.

— Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 4 July 2026

Definition of ridiculous

Adjective

His certification is temporarily suspended due to excessive or unreasonable force from the incident, according to the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training.

— Theresa Clift, Sacbee.com, 7 July 2026
Your request for back-to-back weeks off at the last minute is unreasonable.

— Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 3 July 2026

Definition of unreasonable

Adjective

Their ideas about it were often steeped in stereotypes suggesting that Buddhists were irrational and childish in their thinking.

— Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 7 July 2026
Scammers often use isolation tactics in phone calls to panic the listener and rush them into making irrational choices that often have financial costs.

— Ella Moore July 2, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026

Definition of irrational

Adjective

In the 29th minute, Argentina sent a pass toward the net, and Messi beat the defense with an incredible first step.

— Tim Rohan, NBC news, 4 July 2026
Cape Verde came astonishingly close to taking defending champions Argentina all the way to penalties, eventually falling to a 3-2 extra-time defeat despite an incredible goal from full-back Sidny Lopes Cabral.

— Nick Miller, New York Times, 4 July 2026

Definition of incredible

Adjective

Because large steel structures warp and expand under intense heat and magnetic forces, maintaining a tight seal between unjoined rings has previously been impractical.

— Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 4 July 2026
That restriction makes Europe impractical for the traditional four- to six-month snowbird lifestyle many retirees prefer.

— Andy J. Semotiuk, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

Definition of impractical

Adjective

The group was diving in the Golfo Nuevo around the Hu Shun Yu 809 artificial reef.

— Christine Pelisek, PEOPLE, 7 July 2026
Memory chip stocks have seen a massive run-up this year as a supply crunch, fueled by unrelenting artificial demand, allows businesses to set pricing.

— Samantha Subin, CNBC, 7 July 2026

Definition of artificial

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unreal

unrealistic

unrealities

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“Unrealistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unrealistic. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of unrealistic

adjective

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