Meaning & use
unrealistic expectation
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Meanings
nouncountable
A belief that something will happen or be achieved when it is not likely or possible.
Grammar: Countable: an unrealistic expectation, unrealistic expectations.
Patterns
- have unrealistic expectations
- unrealistic expectations about something
- unrealistic expectations of someone
He has unrealistic expectations about how quickly he can learn a language.
Parents sometimes put unrealistic expectations on their children.
The team's unrealistic expectation of winning every game led to disappointment.
nouncountable
A standard or hope for your own or others' behavior that is too high to be met.
Grammar: Often plural: She has unrealistic expectations of herself.
Patterns
- unrealistic expectations of yourself
- set unrealistic expectations
Many people set unrealistic expectations for their first job.
Her unrealistic expectation of perfect health made her anxious.
Word forms
| plural | unrealistic expectations |
|---|
Common combinations
- have unrealistic expectations
- They have unrealistic expectations about the cost of living abroad.
- unrealistic expectations about
- The article discusses unrealistic expectations about marriage.
- put unrealistic expectations on
- Don't put unrealistic expectations on your team.
- set unrealistic expectations
- The manager set unrealistic expectations for the deadline.
Synonyms and how they differ
- false hope
- False hope is a feeling that something good will happen when it probably won't; it is less about a specific standard.
- unreasonable expectation
- Unreasonable expectation suggests the expectation is not fair or sensible, while unrealistic focuses on it not being practical.
Opposites
Word family
- unrealistic adjective
- Not based on what is likely or possible.
- expectation noun
- A belief that something will happen.
- expect verb
- To think that something will happen.
Commonly confused: unrealistic expectation or unrealized?
unrealistic expectation vs unrealized
Unrealized means not yet achieved, as in 'unrealized potential'; unrealistic means not practical or likely.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'unrealistic expectation' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Unrealistic expectation' is countable, so 'an unrealistic expectation' is correct. 'Unrealistic expectation' without an article is wrong when singular; 'an unrealistic expectations' mixes singular and plural; and 'unrealistic expectation that' is possible but the sentence 'I have unrealistic expectation that it will rain' lacks an article.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “unrealistic expectation”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.