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real

real

∞ 1.0
Happening in real life, not imagined
  • adjective
  • /riːəl/
: real
  • She finally found a real friend who supports her no matter what.
  • real-world
  • real life
  • real-time

So I've had, I've had one real job in my life.

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Examples

  • Maybe now we know the real reason.

  • I mean dreams that feel so real, like they actually happened.

  • The knowledge that it's real seems to matter to us.

  • And it's a nice place, a real nice place.

  • Yeah, it's a real place.

  • Everyone talks about it as if it's real and it's not.

  • I believe that work is, in a real sense, a form of prayer.

    Academic text (2008)
  • So her compassion was real, her love was real.

  • Now here we have a real class divide.

  • Bringing up children in a disadvantaged neighborhood is a real struggle for many families.

    Academic text (2008)

Synonyms

actual
vsreal
∞ 1.4

Real and existing in fact, not imagined or expected

emphasizes being true and not imitation
genuine
vsreal
240 2.0

Real and not fake, for example about art or goods

stresses being present rather than being trusted
authentic
vsreal
236 3.8

Something that is real and trustworthy, not a fake

focuses more on being present rather than on trust

Antonyms

939 1.8

Not real and made to look like something real

273 3.6

Made by people rather than by nature, often as a copy of something natural

195 3.2

Only in the mind and not real

19 4.2

Not real, like something from a dream

Idioms

the real McCoy
  • Informal
7 7.8

The original thing and not a copy

a real stinker
  • Informal
1 8.1

A thing that is very bad or unpleasant

1 9.2

To show that something is really true and not a joke

1 9.4

Feeling very upset or worried and showing strong feelings

A joking phrase that shows old ideas about how men should act

A question asking which person is the real one

Compounds

575 2.8

Land with buildings on it that people own, like houses or offices

483 2.3

The everyday world people live in outside books or theory

333 3.9

Everyday life and work outside study or theory

195 3.8

A thing that is not fake and is exactly as expected

real time
  • Specialized
125 3.7

The time when you get information at once, for example stock prices or a heart rate

79 2.7

The true account of what happened, not rumors

real-time
  • Specialized
72 4.3

Processing or showing information immediately as it arrives

70 4.1

Seen in everyday life and practical situations, not just in theory or tests

61 2.4

A person who helps people buy, sell, or rent houses and other buildings

real live
  • Informal
56 3.9

Present in person and not imaginary

37 2.8

Food that comes from plants or animals and is not made in factories

27 4.2

A thing that is original and not a fake

real pain
  • Informal
24 5.3

Something that causes a lot of trouble and annoyance

19 3.6

A clear, effective answer that fixes a problem

18 2.1

Something you enjoy very much

15 3.7

A person licensed to help people sell, buy or rent houses

A business that buys, sells, or rents land and buildings like houses

real property
  • Formal
11 3.9

Land and buildings that cannot be moved

real talk
  • Slang
10 7.7

An honest serious conversation about difficult or important things

real number
  • Specialized
10 3.9

A value that can be shown on a straight line, like 3, 1/2, or pi

8 7.7

A person or thing that is the original and not a copy

Money you borrow to buy or build property that the bank can take if you do not pay

real estate
  • Texting
5 4.6

Virtual land in online worlds that people buy to build on

3 3.9

A company that owns buildings or land that make money and sells shares to investors

real presence
  • Formal
2 9.9

The belief that the bread and wine used in a church service really become Christ's body and blood

real stud
  • Informal
2 8.1

An attractive confident man admired for his looks

real lifesaver
  • Informal
1 3.5

A person who gives very important help in a difficult situation

real dinosaur
  • Offensive
1 7.9

A person or thing that is very old-fashioned and not useful today

1 8.5

A type of socialism that focuses on practical goals used in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe

Real IRA
  • Offensive
1 9.9

A violent Irish group that formed in 1997 and used bombs and attacks

real shark
  • Informal
1 7.8

A person who pushes hard to get the best business deals

real power
  • Specialized
1 6.7

Electrical energy in an alternating current that actually does work

real GNP
  • Specialized
1 6.3

Total value of a country's goods and services using prices that ignore inflation

real stunner
  • Informal
1 5.1

A very attractive person or thing that makes people stop and look

real bruiser
  • Informal
1 7.5

A person who is very strong and tough, like a boxer or a team defender

1 9.9

An old indoor game like tennis played on a special court with walls

real-time processing
  • Specialized
1 3.6

Working with data fast enough to keep up with another action without delay

real porker
  • Offensive
1 9.9

A person who eats too much food

real-time operation
  • Specialized
1 3.8

Handling data fast enough to keep up with things as they happen

real storage
  • Specialized
1 4.9

Memory inside a computer that programs use directly

a real howler
  • Informal
1 7.5

A joke or mistake that makes people laugh a lot

real matrix
  • Specialized
1 5.7

A table of numbers in rows and columns where each number is real

1 6.7

Total value of goods and services a country makes measured with prices kept the same over time

real wobbler
  • Slang
1 9.9

A situation that is very uncertain and likely to change

real clanker
  • Slang
9.9

An old noisy car that often breaks down

real clonker
  • Slang
9.9

An old car that often breaks down and does not work well

real cuntbag
  • Offensive
9.9

A very rude word for someone who is cruel and unpleasant

A person who has a big success in a difficult situation

7.5

A soccer player who runs very fast and gets past defenders

real blud
  • Slang
9.9

A very close friend you trust and who supports you

8.4

A cheerful, talkative person who makes others feel happy

8.2

A person who keeps working hard even when things are difficult

real ginzo
  • Offensive
9.9

A person who acts foolishly or makes embarrassing mistakes

real Gumby
  • Slang
9.9

A person who can change easily to fit new situations

real fuckcake
  • Offensive
9.9

A situation that is very messy and badly organized

A small armed Irish group that uses bombs and guns to oppose peace talks

real moaner
  • Offensive
6.9

A person who often complains about small, unimportant things

real mucker
  • Slang
9.1

A person who helps and supports others in a team

real nobber
  • Offensive
9.9

A person who acts silly and annoys others

real nosher
  • Informal
9.1

A person who often eats small snacks between meals

real kinnie
  • Slang
9.9

A person who feels very close to a character from a book or show and often acts like them

A music show you go to in person

real number
  • Specialized
3.9

A computer data type for numbers with decimals, often approximate

real shitland
  • Offensive
9.9

A very unpleasant and unsafe place with crime and poor services

9.9

A person who lends money and charges very high interest

9.9

A person who acts loudly in a showy way to get attention

real walloper
  • Archaic
9.8

A person who is very good at a job and gets great results

real wowser
  • Slang
9.6

Something very impressive that makes people feel surprised

real swaggie
  • Slang
9.9

A confident, stylish way of dressing and moving that attracts attention

4.2

A business that buys, sells, or manages virtual land inside online games

How Real

real
∞ 1.0
apparent
145 3.6
simulated
41 4.4
fake
939 1.8
imaginary
195 3.2

Surface Forms

real positive
realer comparative
realest superlative

Etymology

Real comes from the Latin word res meaning 'thing', so a 'real' thing is something that actually exists; this helps you remember that real means genuine or not imagined.