Synonym Chooser

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 Unlike the more familiar real numbers – positive and negative integers, fractions, square roots, cube roots and even numbers such as pi – complex numbers have an imaginary component. William Ross, The Conversation, 10 Mar. 2025 The system that most captured his imagination was an imaginary device that had launched the field of computer science, the Turing machine. Charlie Wood, Quanta Magazine, 7 Mar. 2025 Getting put in imaginary handcuffs, a reference to Miami-Dade police’s detainment of the All-Pro receiver outside of Hard Rock Stadium prior to Sunday’s game. C. Isaiah Smalls Ii, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2025 Science fiction authors wrote original narratives to correspond with each of the nine imaginary planets. Leslie Katz, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for imaginary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imaginary
Adjective
  • Morgan & Morgan, the firm that puts up those annoying Philly billboards, was fined after one of their lawyers admitted to using an AI program that generated fictitious case citations in a legal filing.
    Isaac Avilucea, Axios, 26 Feb. 2025
  • Putin cannot refuse a ceasefire, without losing the fictitious moral high ground.
    Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • In this mostly fictional version, the reclusive Omara has to decide whether or not to come back from retirement and record with her old colleagues from the fervent Cuban years, thus confronting those ghosts.
    Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 20 Mar. 2025
  • Here are our 25 favorite pairs of fictional best friends from movies and TV.
    Kevin Jacobsen, EW.com, 19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Hamilton achieved most of these minimal brake moments while driving for Mercedes for 12 seasons, except for one out-of-reach trophy: turning seven championship titles into the mythical record-setting eight.
    Olivia Hicks, NPR, 15 Mar. 2025
  • The furniture collection was inspired by sea life, the mythical sea creatures of Ancient Greece and is composed of the Lorelei armchair and sofa, Ligea coffee tables, Neomeris carpet, Nereide sofa, Ploto low tables, Seidon sofa, Sibelia low tables and Teti pouf.
    Sofia Celeste, WWD, 14 Mar. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Imaginary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imaginary. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on imaginary

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!