unreal

unreal — 形容詞

1. so unusual, strange, or artificial that a situation or thing feels like a dream

1.形容詞B2
釋義

不真實；夢幻

像夢境或想像般脫離現實的

so unusual, strange, or artificial that a situation or thing feels like a dream or imagination rather than real life

例句

The landscape was so beautiful and strange that it felt unreal, as if Yumi had stepped into a painting.

那片風景美得不可思議，讓 Yumi 感覺像走進了一幅畫中，一切都不太真實。

feel + unreal for dreamlike experience

Adaeze said the whole conversation was unreal, like a scene from a movie she once watched.

Adaeze 說整段對話很不真實，就像她曾看過的一部電影場景。

同義詞
  • imaginary

    focuses on something that exists only in the mind, whereas unreal can describe something physically present that seems strange

  • surreal

    stronger emphasis on bizarre, dreamlike quality; more common in artistic or literary contexts

  • dreamlike

    more poetic and positive; specifically suggests the pleasant or mysterious quality of a dream

  • illusory

    formal register; suggests something deceptive that appears real but is not

反義詞
  • real

    the direct opposite; describes what actually exists in life

  • genuine

    focuses on authenticity rather than existence

文法句型

be + unreal

feel/seem/look/sound + unreal

an unreal + noun

用法筆記

This sense can describe both positive strangeness (a beautiful dreamlike scene) and negative artificiality (something fake or unnatural). Context makes the difference clear.

常見錯誤

❌The food tasted unreal — it was burnt and salty.
✅The food tasted awful
💡it was burnt and salty.' — When describing something bad or negative, use a negative adjective instead of 'unreal'. In sense 1, 'unreal' focuses on dreamlike strangeness or artificiality, not simple bad quality.

2. so extremely good, impressive, or surprising that it feels almost too good to be

2.形容詞B2
釋義

超讚；棒呆了

好到令人難以置信，常用於口語讚美

so extremely good, impressive, or surprising that it feels almost too good to be true

例句

The party was unreal — there was live music, free food, and fireworks at midnight.

那場派對超讚的——有現場演奏、免費食物，還有半夜的煙火。

informal usage for enthusiastic praise

Camila said her new job is unreal; she gets to travel to a different country every month.

Camila 說她的新工作棒呆了，她每個月都能去不同的國家出差。

同義詞
  • incredible

    very similar in meaning and formality; slightly more common in both spoken and written English

  • amazing

    more general and slightly less intense; very widely used in informal contexts

  • fantastic

    warmer and more enthusiastic; often used for enjoyable experiences

  • unbelievable

    can be positive or negative depending on context; less restricted than 'unreal'

反義詞
  • terrible

    direct opposite in the informal-positive sense

  • awful

    direct opposite in the informal-positive sense

  • disappointing

    opposite in terms of emotional expectation

文法句型

be + unreal

absolutely / totally / completely + unreal

It was unreal.

用法筆記

This informal sense is almost always positive. It expresses enthusiastic approval or astonishment, similar to 'incredible' or 'amazing'. Use it in casual conversation rather than formal writing. Never use this sense for negative surprises.

常見錯誤

❌The weather was unreal — it rained for three days.
✅The weather was unreal
💡sunshine and blue skies every single day.' — In informal use, 'unreal' always indicates a strongly positive or astonishingly good experience, not a bad one. For negative surprises, use 'unbelievable' with a negative tone or 'terrible'.