as in surreal
seeming to exist in a dream; like a dream
Her photographs have a dreamlike quality.
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Recent Examples of dreamlike
Looking back, so much of the show already feels like a dreamlike, sentimental memory of an entertainment world that may never have fully existed in the first place.
—
Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 29 May 2026
At first, a person has vivid, dreamlike hallucinations, often scenes from their own life.
—Shayla Love, The Atlantic, 24 May 2026
Three-dimensional motifs, butterfly wings, petals, and foliage come alive across spring trends, transforming clothing into something almost dreamlike.
—Tiana Randall, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
Inside the party, guests were transported to a romantic, dreamlike jungle space adorned with roses and hundreds of candles hanging in the foliage.
—Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 22 May 2026
The beautiful array of their divergent sizes and pelts coalesced as oils on canvas and rendered their exploits almost dreamlike.
—Literary Hub, 20 May 2026
Although the film pleasingly goes full Latin-American Peckinpah — yet with a far more convincing and righteous anti-colonial streak — threaded throughout are dreamlike interludes and flashbacks that provide generational historical context to the events and intensify the atmosphere.
—David Katz, IndieWire, 20 May 2026
The art that Carax has provided above indicates that the film will have a heightened and dreamlike visual style in the same vein as his previous work.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 20 May 2026
Droomvlucht is a dreamlike flight that remains one of my favorite dark rides in the world.
—Zachary Laks, Travel + Leisure, 15 May 2026
Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 29 May 2026
At first, a person has vivid, dreamlike hallucinations, often scenes from their own life.
—Shayla Love, The Atlantic, 24 May 2026
Three-dimensional motifs, butterfly wings, petals, and foliage come alive across spring trends, transforming clothing into something almost dreamlike.
—Tiana Randall, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
Inside the party, guests were transported to a romantic, dreamlike jungle space adorned with roses and hundreds of candles hanging in the foliage.
—Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 22 May 2026
The beautiful array of their divergent sizes and pelts coalesced as oils on canvas and rendered their exploits almost dreamlike.
—Literary Hub, 20 May 2026
Although the film pleasingly goes full Latin-American Peckinpah — yet with a far more convincing and righteous anti-colonial streak — threaded throughout are dreamlike interludes and flashbacks that provide generational historical context to the events and intensify the atmosphere.
—David Katz, IndieWire, 20 May 2026
The art that Carax has provided above indicates that the film will have a heightened and dreamlike visual style in the same vein as his previous work.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 20 May 2026
Droomvlucht is a dreamlike flight that remains one of my favorite dark rides in the world.
—Zachary Laks, Travel + Leisure, 15 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dreamlike
Adjective
-
Not Pop, not Funk, not surreal or Conceptual, and certainly not Minimal, Nilsson’s work is practically an advertisement for postwar Chicago’s alternative tradition.—
Jeremy Lybarger,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
-
In the wildly surreal satire, Liu plays a Chinese factory worker named Jianhu, who teleports into the Bay Area and starts robbing clothing stores as a middle finger to fashion mogul Christie Smith (Demi Moore), who has made working conditions untenable in China.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
In addition to hydrating hair and combating dryness, this mask is fantastic for smoothing frizz and making hair more manageable.—
Ariel Wodarcyk,
Glamour,
29 May 2026
-
That sounds pretty fantastic, but unfortunately, that's not the full story.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
The Ritz-Carlton guests will also finally have access to hop aboard the incredible, spaceship-like Adastra super-yacht, currently available only for neighboring Patina Maldives guests.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 June 2026
-
To not have that would be devastating … There’s just things that would become a lot more muted if people don’t have attachment to anything, which is quite incredible.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
That’s just a really bizarre back and forth to exist in.—
Hanif Abdurraqib,
New Yorker,
31 May 2026
-
As the story builds toward a violent showdown between the mourners and the town, the reader will be entranced by its surreal language and bizarre logic.—
Gabrielle Bellot,
Literary Hub,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dreamlike.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dreamlike. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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