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
That plunges her into dreamlike visions on Mita, a sinister entity feeding on her pain.
—
John Hopewell, Variety, 3 Nov. 2025
Its dreamlike visuals are the main event, as scene after scene of this film kaleidoscopically portrays its characters sliding in and out of the real and hallucinatory worlds.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
Throughout the movie, Lanthimos doles out pieces of backstory in short, dreamlike sequences that unfurl in black and white, artfully filling in the blanks of Teddy’s particular interest in Michelle.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2025
Meanwhile, Mima’s own psyche becomes fractured, a crisis of self-image expressed in frighteningly dreamlike fashion.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Creating an emotional throughline for a film that embraces the lyrical, dreamlike quality of its title gave composer Bryce Dessner enough of a challenge to disrupt how composers usually create a movie score.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 30 Oct. 2025
Franco-Chinese painter Xie Lei, known for his dreamlike portraits of ghostly, ambiguous figures adrift in dark spaces, has been announced as the winner of this year’s Prix Marcel Duchamp, France’s most prestigious contemporary art prize.
—News Desk, Artforum, 27 Oct. 2025
The photographs became tableaux, dreamlike reconstructions of youth and landscape.
—Vogue, 18 Oct. 2025
Droomvlucht is a dreamlike flight that remains one of my favorite dark rides in the world.
—Zachary Laks, Travel + Leisure, 17 Oct. 2025
John Hopewell, Variety, 3 Nov. 2025
Its dreamlike visuals are the main event, as scene after scene of this film kaleidoscopically portrays its characters sliding in and out of the real and hallucinatory worlds.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
Throughout the movie, Lanthimos doles out pieces of backstory in short, dreamlike sequences that unfurl in black and white, artfully filling in the blanks of Teddy’s particular interest in Michelle.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2025
Meanwhile, Mima’s own psyche becomes fractured, a crisis of self-image expressed in frighteningly dreamlike fashion.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Creating an emotional throughline for a film that embraces the lyrical, dreamlike quality of its title gave composer Bryce Dessner enough of a challenge to disrupt how composers usually create a movie score.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 30 Oct. 2025
Franco-Chinese painter Xie Lei, known for his dreamlike portraits of ghostly, ambiguous figures adrift in dark spaces, has been announced as the winner of this year’s Prix Marcel Duchamp, France’s most prestigious contemporary art prize.
—News Desk, Artforum, 27 Oct. 2025
The photographs became tableaux, dreamlike reconstructions of youth and landscape.
—Vogue, 18 Oct. 2025
Droomvlucht is a dreamlike flight that remains one of my favorite dark rides in the world.
—Zachary Laks, Travel + Leisure, 17 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dreamlike
Adjective
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The video depicts a surreal world where a young man begins seeing the colorful patterns and iconography, like Swedish fish and other candies, that dedicated Candy Crush players will no doubt recognize.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
6 Nov. 2025
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Combining the optimism of Don Quixote and Candide became the guide for my main character—an absolutely surreal, absurd optimist, who believes that even things way out of his league are possible for him.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Vegan, non-GMO, and delicious, these creatine gummies are a fantastic way to ease into taking creatine supplements without having to worry about mixing powders.—
Brianna Peters,
Vogue,
9 Nov. 2025
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To livestream the Falcons-Colts online on NFL Network, a subscription to Hulu + Live TV is another fantastic option.—
Rudie Obias,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Reflecting on all of his incredible life achievements, Ace’s memory will continue to live on forever!—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Nov. 2025
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Rami Malek has incredible range and a more nuanced film charting his descent into a pariah and Cassandra figure deserved so much more.—
NPR,
NPR,
11 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Even its star, Kim Kardashian, is leaning into the bizarre criticism, posting photos on Instagram of herself laughing along with the rest of the cast, interspersed with scathing reviews.—
Rebecca Aizin,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
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And calls like Payton’s bizarre third-and-1 trick play involving Courtland Sutton — a double pass that never came to be — aren’t helping.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dreamlike.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dreamlike. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.
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