unreal

comparative more unreal · superlative most unreal

1. Not real or substantial; having no actual presence in reality; lacking the characteristics of reality.

   "The Boy's Uncle made me Real," he said. "That was a great many years ago; but once you are Real you can't become unreal again. It lasts for always."

   1921 June, Margery Williams, “The Velveteen Rabbit: Or How Toys Become Real”, in Harper’s Bazar, volume LVI, number 6 (2504 overall), New York, N.Y.: International Magazine Company, →ISSN, →OCLC

   1 more example

   The word ‘ivory’ rang in the air, was whispered, was sighed. You would think they were praying to it. A taint of imbecile rapacity blew through it all, like a whiff from some corpse. By Jove! I’ve never seen anything so unreal in my life.

   1899 February, Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXV, number M, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], →OCLC, part I, page 212

2. informalvery impressive; amazing; unbelievable; incredible; larger or more fantastic than typical of real life.

   I just had an unreal hamburger.

   5 more examples

   The video includes unreal footage of an eight-metre wave.

   He stops his cab at every traffic light, unrolls his window and calls out to the other drivers: "I've got a movie star in the car! Follow me down to see her come out. She is unreal, man! I am in seventh heaven! I have a dream!"

   1990, Eurydice, F/32, page 205

   "She just set me up" "Now that's unreal, man. I mean, we're talking about a fairly considerable sum here, aren't we, Dexter?" "Listen to me. She set me up, with a dude she was cheatin' on me with

   1995, Sam Reaves, Get What's Coming, page 60

   “Yeah, she does have a certain mental toughness that is unreal,” agreed Berto. “I really don't think of her as a girl, I mean, it's like she's a tough buddy or tough sister to me.”

   2012, Thomas Maul, Manila Demon, page 102

   He walks around and tries to pluck a flower on the ground. david exclaims, “Holy shit, this is unreal! i can feel the flower, the heat from the sun, and i can even hear the wind! The smells are so vibrant! How could i possibly be smelling flowers?

   2011, John Adrian Tomlin, The Imaginarium Machine, page 13