The feelings of "love at first sight" and "faithful unto death" are unrealistic; this sort of unrealistic and illusory feeling is not what we need.
Source: tatoeba (724314)
Illusory
/ɪˈluː.sə.ɹiː/
Synonyms for "illusory" (172 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (35)
aberrantabroadadriftair builtair-builtairyall abroadall in the mindall offall wrongamissapparentapparitionalaskewassumedastrayat faultautisticawrybarmecidal
Show 10 more words
Adjective(2 words)
apparent resultartificial
Noun(1 words)
apparently clear
Strong matches (51)
Related words (86)
Verb(1 words)
hallucinatoryhereticalheterodoxidealillogicalillusionalillusionaryillusiveimaginaryimaginationalimaginedimmaterialinsubstantialmerely nominalmisleadingmistakennonexistentnot realnot rightnot true
Show 49 more words
notionaloffoff the trackostensibleoutpeccantperversepervertedphantasmagoricphantasmalphantomphantomlikeprobablequestionablerarefiedromanticseemingself-contradictoryself-deceptiveself-deludingshadowyspeciousspectralspellbindingspirituousstrayingsubtilesubtlesupposititioustenuoustrickishtricksytrickyunactualunfactualunfoundedunorthodoxunprovedunrealunrealisticunsubstantialuntruevaporousvisionalvisionarywidewindywitchingwrong
Adjective(12 words)
illusiveimaginarymaya-relatedmisleadingoptical effectpseudoseeming effectsimulativespeciousspuriousspurious claimvertiginous
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: aberrant, abroad, adrift, air built, air-built.
- Sentence evidence is available for illusory, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, derived_reverse, opengloss, wordnet, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "illusory".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "illusory"
Keep "illusory" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "illusory" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "illusory", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "illusory" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
4 entriesMore specific
4 entriesfalse memoryillusory correlationmemory illusionperceptual illusion
Collocations
6 entriesfalse memoryillusory controlillusory correlationillusory memoryillusory truth effectperceptual illusion
Inflections
2 entriesmore illusorymost illusory
Derivations
2 entriessimilar
1 entriesSample sentences
12 total sentences available.
May I awaken within the dream and grasp the fact that I am dreaming so that all dream-like beings may likewise awaken from the nightmare of illusory suffering and confusion.
Source: tatoeba (2495447)
Robert Louis Stevenson warns us that "to travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive," beautifully portraying the emptiness and illusory character of achievement.
Source: tatoeba (8327851)
Human life is like a pendulum that oscillates incessantly between boredom and pain, with fleeting and above all illusory intervals of pleasure and joy.
Source: tatoeba (10325941)
Showing 4 of 12 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "illusory"?
Closest matches include aberrant, abroad, adrift, air built, air-built.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "illusory"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.