as in irrational
very strange or unusual; having the quality of a dream
a surreal atmosphere at the festival The whole situation was completely surreal.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of surreal
In this offbeat and surreal comedy, frustrated playwright Mark becomes addicted to huffing perfume to conjure
memories from a previous Italian summer vacation.
—
Katcy Stephan, Variety, 16 Apr. 2025
The 24 original creations, including two non- alcoholic adaptations, will serve as liquid doorways for guests to experience Scarfe’s surreal and creative outlook on the world.
—Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
The note kicked off a surreal, contentious exchange between Williams and Grenell, which the former shared screenshots of on Instagram.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2025
There followed a surreal half-time chat between Chapman and Poyet about his dismissal, with the game relegated to a sideshow, as fellow pundit Efan Ekoku shifted awkwardly in his seat.
—Tom Burrows, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for surreal
Katcy Stephan, Variety, 16 Apr. 2025
The 24 original creations, including two non- alcoholic adaptations, will serve as liquid doorways for guests to experience Scarfe’s surreal and creative outlook on the world.
—Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
The note kicked off a surreal, contentious exchange between Williams and Grenell, which the former shared screenshots of on Instagram.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2025
There followed a surreal half-time chat between Chapman and Poyet about his dismissal, with the game relegated to a sideshow, as fellow pundit Efan Ekoku shifted awkwardly in his seat.
—Tom Burrows, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for surreal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surreal
Adjective
-
Judge orders transgender passports despite 'irrational' Trump policy.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
-
And then there’s the emotional, irrational lift of gilt and glory, the baroque architecture, the Renaissance art, the history stretching back to Jesus and Saint Peter.—
Howard Chua-Eoan,
Mercury News,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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So those [neoclassical] artists are to me, in a very weird sense, the very earliest photographers—except their medium was oil on canvas.—
Mark Holgate,
Vogue,
15 Apr. 2025
-
The first sign of Mom Fatigue is leaving weird stuff in the fridge.—
Olga Khazan,
The Atlantic,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
If some readers were befuddled by Mr. Holland’s strange and magical imagery, graphic artists were entranced.—
Penelope Green,
New York Times,
13 Apr. 2025
-
These stores typically feature eclectic collections of oddities, collectibles, curiosities, and decorative items that appeal to collectors and enthusiasts of the strange and unique.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Courts will not second-guess the safety measures employers adopt, even when those measures infringe on an employee’s privacy, unless the measures are unreasonable under the circumstances.—
Dan Eaton,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Apr. 2025
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Companies need to assess their higher costs, and then negotiate with the state regulators who try to protect ratepayers from unreasonable hikes.—
Camila Domonoske,
NPR,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Quarterly reports delayed by years would be absurd.—
Ingmar Rentzhog,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
-
While that isn't anywhere close to of being traded 10 times, being traded in four straight seasons is quite absurd.—
Andrew Wright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Although not musicians, the Goldbergs quickly realized there was something unusual about their 3-year-old boy.—
Steve Rothaus,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2025
-
For one group of six girls living in Waterloo, Canada, their lives took an unusual turn when a couple of very territorial geese decided to claim their front lawn as their own.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
People.com,
19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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And the testing is meaningless unless people are also being connected to treatment as quickly as possible.—
Jennifer Lotito,
Forbes.com,
23 Apr. 2025
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Shaking your fist at the fools who started the First World War and condemned millions to a meaningless death seems jejune; historians teach us to say that the generals did their best under impossible conditions.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
21 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Surreal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surreal. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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