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Fig.: Unreal show; imitation; appearance. What can thy imagery of sorrow mean Prior.

The state or quality of being imaginary; unreality.

Not apprehensible, or readily apprehensible, by the mind; unreal; as, impalpable distinctions.

Unsubstantiality; unreality. [R.]

Acting or living under false pretenses; concealment of something by a false or unreal show; pretentious show; disguise. That masquerade of misrepresentation which invariably accompanied the political eloquence of Rome. De Quincey.

The name for the doctrine of the unreality of matter, called, in English, idealism; hence, nothingness; vanity; illusion.

To prove unreal or intrue; to disprove. The omission or infrequency of such recitals does not negative the existence of miracles. Paley.

To set forth in an unreal character; to disguise; to mask. [R.] "A personated mate." Milton.

Made of pinchbeck; sham; cheap; spurious; unreal. "A pinchbeck throne." J. A. Symonds.

To consider, represent, or embody (something unreal) as fact; to materialize. [R.] "A pragmatized metaphor." Tylor.

ut, or represent, falsely; to put forward, or offer, as true or real (something untrue or unreal); to show hypocritically, or for the purpose of deceiving; to simulate; to feign; as, to pretend friendship. This let him know, Lest, willfully transgressing, he pretend Surprisal. Milton.

Making a false appearance; unreal; false; as, pretended friend. -- Pre*tend"ed*ly, adv.

feigned; presentation of what is deceptive or hypocritical; deception by showing what is unreal and concealing what is real; false show; simulation; as, pretense of illness; under pretense of patriotism; on pretense of revenging Cæsar's death.

ing to romance; involving or resembling romance; hence, fanciful; marvelous; extravagant; unreal; as, a romantic tale; a romantic notion; a romantic undertaking. Can anything in nature be imagined more profane and impious, more absurd, and undeed romantic, than such a persuasion South. Zeal for the good of one's countr…

Unsubstantial; unreal; as, shadowy honor. Milton has brought into his poems two actors of a shadowy and fictitious nature, in the persons of Sin and Death. Addison.

False; counterfeit; pretended; feigned; unreal; as, a sham fight. They scorned the sham independence proffered to them by the Athenians. Jowett (Thucyd)

Of or pertaining to the shade or darkness; shadowy; unreal; secluded; retired. [R.] B. Jonson.

r state of being vain; want of substance to satisfy desire; emptiness; unsubstantialness; unrealness; falsity. Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. Eccl. i. 2. Here I may well show the vanity of that which is reported in the story of Walsingham. Sir J. Davies.

Something unsubstantial, fleeting, or transitory; unreal fancy; vain imagination; idle talk; boasting. For what is your life It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. James iv. 14.

Unreal; unsubstantial; vain; whimsical. Such vaporous speculations were inevitable. Carlyle.