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I am looking for a single word for describing dolls that looks like real human beings.

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We're really trying to avoid using this site for "single word requests." If you have a particularly interesting problem to solve, all we ask is that you include a bit of background and research into the question, instead of simply asking "I'm trying to think of a word..." See: meta.english.stackexchange.com/questions/1654/… or meta.english.stackexchange.com/questions/2160/… – Robert Cartaino♦ Jan 4 '12 at 22:20

5 Answers

up vote 12 down vote

Lifelike would seem to be the obvious choice.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lifelike

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+1 for good choice of word and citation. – MετάEd Jan 4 '12 at 20:46
up vote 1 down vote

Dolls of human size which are used for showing clothes in shop windows are called mannequins.

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up vote 2 down vote

If you want to say that they look like humans, try humanoid.

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2  
This seems to me to imply human shape, but not almost real in appearance as the OP requested. – MετάEd Jan 4 '12 at 20:45
@MetaEd The body of the question says that the dolls look like humans, so this answer applies to those. Downvote if you like, but I think it applies. – Mahnax Jan 4 '12 at 20:49
Not a downvote; it's helpful, as you say, but I do think it misses the point. The OP requsted a word for "almost real in appearance". – MετάEd Jan 4 '12 at 21:10
@MetaEd By that logic, Irene's answer should also be downvoted. – Mahnax Jan 4 '12 at 21:28
up vote 3 down vote

If you are looking for an adjective which means apparently (but not actually) real, try virtual. Using the adjective form, you could say the dolls are virtually human.¹

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up vote 4 down vote

Verisimilitude captures for 'close to real'.

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