Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

unrealistic

British  
/ ˌʌnrɪəˈlɪstɪk /

adjective

  1. not realistic

    unrealistic expectations
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Public opinion is shifting, and policymakers increasingly recognize that meeting climate goals without reliable baseload power is unrealistic.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

The government says the doctors' expectations are unreasonable and unrealistic.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

Treating noise as a simple blur can lead to unrealistic expectations about the true capabilities of quantum computing.

From Science Daily • Apr. 6, 2026

Macron has previously said it would be unrealistic to force open the passage militarily.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

You can say that my forager’s meal is unrealistic, but I would answer that the fast-food meal is unrealistic also.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.