phrase informal B2 real, not pretended: 真正的，真实的；认真的 I thought it was just a drill but apparently it was for real.我还以为是消防演习呢，但显然是真的失火了。 Is this guy for real or is this a parody? I assumed someone was joking but it turned out it was for real. It was an April Fools' Day joke that a lot of viewers thought was for real. I didn't know whether it was a game or it was for real. We all thought it was for real and panicked. See also
realadjective(NOT FALSE)
for real | American Dictionary
for real
idiom infml actual, true, or real: Is this letter a joke or is it for real? “I’m not talking to him anymore.” “For real? (= Is that really true?)”