VISIONARY Synonyms: 192 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'visionary' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of visionary are chimerical , fanciful , fantastic , imaginary , and quixotic . While all these words mean "unreal or unbelievable," visionary stresses impracticality or incapability of realization. // visionary schemes

Q: How is 'chimerical' related to other words for 'visionary'?

Chimerical combines the implication of visionary and fantastic . // chimerical dreams of future progress

Q: When might 'fanciful' be a better fit than 'visionary'?

In some situations, the words fanciful and visionary are roughly equivalent. However, fanciful suggests the free play of the imagination. // a teller of fanciful stories

Q: When can 'fantastic' be used instead of 'visionary'?

The meanings of fantastic and visionary largely overlap; however, fantastic implies incredibility or strangeness beyond belief. // a fantastic world inhabited by monsters

Q: When is 'imaginary' a more appropriate choice than 'visionary'?

Although the words imaginary and visionary have much in common, imaginary applies to something which is fictitious and purely the product of one's imagination. // an imaginary desert isle

Q: When could 'quixotic' be used to replace 'visionary'?

While in some cases nearly identical to visionary , quixotic implies a devotion to romantic or chivalrous ideals unrestrained by ordinary prudence and common sense. // a quixotic crusade

visionary 1 of 2

adjective

ˈvi-zhə-ˌner-ē

Definition of visionary next

as in romantic

having or marked by a tendency to be guided more by ideals than by reality a visionary plan for a manned flight to Mars even though there are pressing problems right here on earth

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in mythic

not real and existing only in the imagination one of several Christian saints who claimed to have had visionary experiences of hell

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in cautious

having or showing awareness of and preparation for the future in a visionary move, the developer bought large tracts of the waterfront just before property values skyrocketed

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

visionary

2 of 2

noun

as in diviner

one who predicts future events or developments according to Greek myth, Cassandra was a visionary who was endowed with the gift of inerrant prophecy but fated to never be believed

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in dreamer

one whose conduct is guided more by the image of perfection than by the real world 19th-century visionaries who founded short-lived communities in which everyone was supposed to live in perfect peace and harmony

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective visionary contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of visionary are chimerical, fanciful, fantastic, imaginary, and quixotic. While all these words mean "unreal or unbelievable," visionary stresses impracticality or incapability of realization.

visionary schemes

How is chimerical related to other words for visionary?

Chimerical combines the implication of visionary and fantastic.

chimerical dreams of future progress

When might fanciful be a better fit than visionary?

In some situations, the words fanciful and visionary are roughly equivalent. However, fanciful suggests the free play of the imagination.

a teller of fanciful stories

When can fantastic be used instead of visionary?

The meanings of fantastic and visionary largely overlap; however, fantastic implies incredibility or strangeness beyond belief.

a fantastic world inhabited by monsters

When is imaginary a more appropriate choice than visionary?

Although the words imaginary and visionary have much in common, imaginary applies to something which is fictitious and purely the product of one's imagination.

an imaginary desert isle

When could quixotic be used to replace visionary?

While in some cases nearly identical to visionary, quixotic implies a devotion to romantic or chivalrous ideals unrestrained by ordinary prudence and common sense.

a quixotic crusade

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of visionary

Adjective

Tracy would likely have been a visionary critic to herald their artistry, which few, at the time, understood as an art at all. —

Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 25 Nov. 2024 Jill’s visionary leadership has set the bar for what a contemporary art museum can be and redefined what museums can achieve through the values of openness and care. —

News Desk, Artforum, 20 Nov. 2024

Noun

First in the Sixties and again the following decade, Motown and its visionary founder, Berry Gordy Jr., tried to crack a market far from its Detroit roots: Nashville. —

David Browne, Rolling Stone, 8 Dec. 2024 Magazine Keep an eye out for incredible projects ahead from these visionaries shaping the design world Designer Ross Cassidy. —

The Editors Of Ad, Architectural Digest, 4 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for visionary

Recent Examples of Synonyms for visionary

Adjective

Madison is flawless in these closing scenes: stunned, heartbroken, unable to respond to the tentative romantic gestures of a Russian henchman who's taken a shine to her.

Tom Gliatto, People.com, 11 Dec. 2024
The style of the home was Italian Villa, an informal, romantic style.

Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 11 Dec. 2024