surreal

adjective

sur·​re·​al sə-ˈrē(-ə)l How to pronounce surreal (audio)
 also  -ˈrā-əl
1
: marked by the intense irrational reality of a dream
also : unbelievable, fantastic
surreal sums of money
2
surreality noun
surreally adverb

Did you know?

In 1924 a group of European poets, painters, and filmmakers founded a movement that they called Surrealism. Their central idea was that the unconscious mind (a concept Sigmund Freud had recently made famous) was the source of all imagination, and that art should try to express its contents. The unconscious, they believed, revealed itself most clearly in dreams. The Surrealist painters included René Magritte, Joan Miró, and Salvador Dalí, whose "limp watches" painting became the best-known Surrealist image of all. Since those years, we've used surreal to describe all kinds of situations that strike us as dreamlike. And even though the Surrealist movement ended long ago, surrealism now seems to be everywhere—not just in painting, literature, and movies but also in blogs, video games, and graphic novels.

Examples of surreal in a Sentence

Despite all the hassle, though, I would not want an ordinary name. I know of one other person in the world who shares my name, first and last. I know nothing about her except that she lived in New York at the same time I did, and that she and I subscribed to a few of the same publications. I found myself in the surreal position of having to explain to circulation departments that I was, in fact, me, and not that other version of me on the West Side. Johnna Kaplan, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2008
Films aren't just a part of life for people in India; they are a way of life. The over-the-top, surreal dance numbers in nearly every Bollywood film often make no sense in relation to the story, but no one seems to be complaining. Shashank Samant, The Out Traveler, May/June 2005
The movie achieves a truly rare mix of the absurd, the surreal, and the heartfelt. Improbably, its wacked-out premise and structural hilarity concoct a melancholy meditation on love, loss, and memory, while delivering a message—subversive to our culture's therapeutic optimism—about the tragedy of healing. Rand Richards Cooper, Commonweal, 23 Apr. 2004
The whole thing was completely surreal.
Recent Examples on the Web The surreal video, which blew up on Friend’s TikTok and Instagram accounts, is a prime example of the comedian’s sharp miming abilities, which often impress and surprise his targets. Jake Kring-Schreifels, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 Lanthimos expertly composes surreal scenarios that, while rooted in reality, feel like a window into another world. Allaire Nuss, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2024 Blending flares of imaginative theatricality, surreal farce, and deep tenderness, this beautiful rollercoaster ride reveals timeless truths of love, family, and forgiveness. Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2024 Radhika viewed it as a surreal moment within an already otherworldly weekend. Elise Taylor, Vogue, 6 Mar. 2024 Mitchell, co-directing with Stephanie Stine, doesn’t stage the action bouts with the surreal freedom that animation makes possible. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 6 Mar. 2024 The past six months of Laufey’s life have been nothing less than surreal. Leah Lu, Rolling Stone, 6 Mar. 2024 The experience surely felt surreal for fans who were packing the arena when Lute Olson lifted the program to national prominence in the late 1980s. Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2024 Rachel Quinn Sometimes surreal, always sophisticated, Rachel Quinn’s whimsical jewelry is crafted in her Los Angeles studio from precious materials. Kate Matthams, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'surreal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from surrealism

First Known Use

1937, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of surreal was in 1937

Dictionary Entries Near surreal

Cite this Entry

“Surreal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surreal. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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