chimera
noun/kɪˈmɪrə/
Frequency rank: #14,983 most common English word
Meaning
Something that is hoped for but is illusory or impossible to achieve; also, a mythological fire-breathing monster.

Example sentence
The scientist warned that the perfect cure might be nothing more than chimera that researchers have been chasing for decades.
Synonyms & related words
Practice this word in the quiz
More words in ranks 14,901–15,000
- broadsidea firing of all the guns on one side of a warship at once; also, a strong verbal or written attack.
- burdensomeDifficult to carry out or deal with; causing hardship or stress.
- cadmiuma soft, bluish-white metallic element used in batteries, pigments, and industrial coatings.
- carnivorousFeeding on the flesh of other animals; meat-eating.
- characteristicallyin a way that is typical of a particular person, place, or thing.
- chiropractora healthcare professional who treats disorders of the spine and musculoskeletal system, mainly through manual adjustment.
- chromosomalrelating to or involving chromosomes, the structures in cells that carry genetic information.
- claustrophobichaving or causing an extreme fear of being in small or enclosed spaces.
- cleaveto split or divide something by force, especially along a natural line.
- conformationThe shape or structure of a molecule or object; the way something is arranged or formed.