this feels unreal

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "this feels unreal" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it to express disbelief or a sense of surrealness about a situation. Example: "When I heard the news, this feels unreal." Alternative expressions include "this seems unbelievable" and "this feels surreal."

✓ Grammatically correct

Academia

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

"All of this feels unreal," says Mr. Brown, a stocky man with a thin goatee.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

In his meetings with the specialist from Brijder, Luuk discusses feeling like he has lost himself – the world feels unreal to him.

Vice

As seen this week, the President demonstrated that the real feels unreal; yet as seen by protagonist Olivia Pope on Scandal this week, the unreal feels real.

Huffington Post

"It feels unreal.

The Guardian - Film

"It still feels unreal," Ms. Thieben said.

The New York Times

It still feels unreal – everything that happened.

The Guardian

To get that level of acceptance feels unreal.

Independent

"It feels unreal, it feels like a dream," she told the ­Associated Press.

Princeton University

"It's only when you leave that it feels unreal".

The Guardian

"It feels unreal," the 30-year-old said.

The Guardian - Sport

It feels unreal looking at it, and then at my companions at the dinner table.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Reserve the phrase for moments of genuine surprise or existential reflection to maintain its rhetorical power.

Common error

Avoid using "this feels unreal" in technical or scientific writing where precision is expected. Instead of describing a surprising data point as feeling unreal, describe it as "statistically improbable" or "anomalous".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "this feels unreal" serves as an expressive stative construction. It combines the demonstrative pronoun "this" with the linking verb "feels" and the adjective "unreal" to articulate a subjective psychological state. According to Ludwig, the construction is grammatically correct and primarily functions to convey a sense of shock or emotional overload.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

85%

Academia

10%

Wiki

5%

Less common in

Science

1%

Formal & Business

2%

Encyclopedias

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "this feels unreal" is a powerful and correct linguistic tool for capturing moments that transcend daily expectations. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase is a hallmark of authentic emotional reporting, frequently appearing in the world's most prestigious news outlets to describe everything from Olympic victories to the aftermath of major events. While it is rarely used in purely technical or scientific discourse, its ability to concisely describe the human experience of shock and awe makes it an essential part of the modern English lexicon. Writers should use it to convey the profound impact of a moment while remaining mindful of its subjective, sensory nature.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

this feels surreal

Uses the word surreal to imply a dreamlike or illogical quality that challenges the senses

it feels like a dream

Employs a simile to compare the intensity of reality to the ephemeral nature of a dream

it seems unreal

Replaces the sensory verb feels with seems to focus on an external observation rather than internal sensation

this is surreal

Removes the sensory component to state the dreamlike state as an objective fact

this is unbelievable

Shifts the focus from feeling to cognitive belief and logical impossibility

i can't believe this is happening

Expresses the same sentiment through a direct personal reaction of disbelief

everything feels unreal

Expands the scope of disbelief from a specific event to the entire environment

it's hard to process this

Describes the mental effort required to accept the reality of the current situation

this is like a movie

Compares the event to a scripted or cinematic experience to highlight its implausibility

this is mind-blowing

Uses more informal imagery to convey the overwhelming nature of the experience

FAQs

How do I use "this feels unreal" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe a moment of shock or triumph, for example: "Standing on the podium with the gold medal, "this feels unreal" was all I could think".

What is a more professional alternative to "this feels unreal"?

In professional settings, you might prefer "this seems unprecedented" or "this exceeds expectations".

What is the difference between "this feels unreal" and "this feels surreal"?

While both express disbelief, "this feels surreal" specifically implies a bizarre, dreamlike or artistic quality, whereas "this feels unreal" is more focused on the general inability to process a fact as reality.

Is it correct to say "this feels unreal" in formal writing?

It is grammatically correct, but often considered too subjective for formal academic papers. In such cases, consider using "it is hard to conceive".