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Imaginative

Heba

Senior Member
Egypt, Arabic
Hi everybody
I want to describe a person who is unrealistic , a kind of person who lives in a world he or she creates and detaches himself from the real world. I wonder if imaginative can be the right word to describe such peson or if there is a better word.

Thank you
The kind of person you describe may or may not be imaginative. I suggest, as a noun, dreamer.
You could say he is "a bit of a Walter Mitty", after a very well known short story which was later turned into a film.

You can find the complete story free online if you are interested, but I think many people use the phrase /name without having read the story.

http://www.all-story.com/issues.cgi?action=show_story&story_id=100

(I think I'm OK to post this link as it looks like a non-commercial site)
Idealists are not always as distanced from reality as the questioner seeks.

In Ireland we say such people are "away with the fairies." (But that grew up before the word 'fairy' developed its less fanciful connotations.) From similar concepts the word "airy-fairy" came to apply to such people and their plans, schemes and pronouncements.
(I've been a regular visitor to this fairyland myself occasionally!) 👁 Big Grin :D
How about "lunatic" (someone who's head is on the moon - from the latin luna=moon)?
Though originally it implied madness, nowadays I see it applied to persons whose mind is away from reality.
moura said:
How about "lunatic" (someone who's head is on the moon - from the latin luna=moon)?
Though originally it implied madness, nowadays I see it applied to persons whose mind is away from reality.


A good idea Moura but I don't think it would apply here. In BE "lunatic" is still commonly used to describe a mad person. Someone whose mind is away from reality is said to be "not all there". Or, as Maxiogee said, "Away with the fairies". (God bless them all.)




LRV
Charles Costante said:
An escapist is someone who escapes into a world of fantasy.
I would offer that escapist is probaly as close as you can get. Bear in mind that they will probably be VERY imaginative and even creative, but not realistic, becasue they have created this fantasy place for themselves. thesaurus.com doesn't offer much help for other synoyms.
I agree with bartonig's "dreamer" but I would add "...world of his/her own".


John is a dreamer, he lives in a world of his own.

Tommo.
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