# unreal

/ənˈɹiɫ/ (US) · /ʌnɹˈiəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/unreal
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. not real

adjective · CEFR B2

not real or existing in the physical world; like a dream or a story.

For teachers: lacking existence in reality; existing only in the imagination or as a theoretical concept.

- The bright colors in the dream felt so unreal when I woke up.
- The landscape had an unreal quality, as if the mountains had been painted onto the horizon rather than formed by nature.

### 2. amazing or incredible

adjective · CEFR B2 · Informal

so good, impressive, or strange that you can hardly believe it is true.

For teachers: extraordinary or incredible to an extreme degree; often used to express high praise or shock.

- The view from the top of the mountain was absolutely unreal.
- The athlete's performance during the final minutes of the game was simply unreal, leaving the commentators and the crowd in total disbelief.

Usage: Often used with intensifiers like 'absolutely' or 'totally' in spoken English.

## Examples

- The view from the top of the mountain was unreal.
- Winning the championship after such a difficult season felt completely unreal to the whole team.
- The special effects in the film were so advanced that the alien landscapes looked unreal, yet strangely convincing to the audience.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.