Unreal means not real or so extraordinary it seems impossible to believe. When something is unreal, it either doesn't actually exist or it's so amazing that it feels like it can't be real.

If you see a photograph that's been digitally altered to show a dragon flying over your school, that dragon is unreal: it was never really there. The buildings in a video game world are unreal: they exist as images on a screen but not as actual structures you could visit.

The word also describes experiences so incredible they don't feel real. When your team wins the championship in the final seconds, you might say “That was unreal!” A sunset so beautiful it takes your breath away, or a concert so exciting you can barely sit still, can feel unreal because they exceed your normal experience.

People sometimes describe feeling unreal themselves when something shocking happens. After receiving unexpected good news, you might feel dazed, like you're watching yourself from outside your own body. That dreamlike sensation is also called unreality.

The opposite of unreal is real, meaning something that actually exists or happens. Related words include realistic (true to life) and genuine (authentic).