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
The ceremony was complete with dreamlike floral arrangements and multi-colored smoke bombs that fired after the lovebirds exchanged their vows.
—
Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 7 Jan. 2026
In movies like Sátántangó, Werckmeister Harmonies, and his extraordinary swan song, 2011’s The Turin Horse, the Hungarian filmmaker crafted dreamlike narratives populated with disillusioned, spiritually bereft characters facing harsh realities.
—Tim Grierson, Rolling Stone, 6 Jan. 2026
Everything was bathed in a crepuscular, dreamlike Mediterranean light.
—Javier Montes, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
Some of his boxes look like miniature cabinets of curiosities, others like Surrealist dioramas, windows into dreamlike worlds.
—Bruce Handy, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
The film’s dreamlike atmosphere veered toward the surreal, with Cruise and Kidman doing the weirdest acting of their lives and the orgygoers’ portrayal — the masks, the password, the choreography — striking many viewers as more goofy than sexy or sinister.
—Lane Brown, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2025
Kahlo resisted being labeled a surrealist, a style of art that's dreamlike and centers on a fascination with the unconscious mind.
—Arkansas Online, 30 Nov. 2025
Contrasts between the vibrant, dreamlike underwater world and the silence of her home reflect her inner struggle.
—Essie Assibu, Variety, 27 Nov. 2025
While Vid stubbornly refuses to leave and sometimes descends into a drunken stupor, Dule observes his father with a dreamlike wonder — a wonder that Jovanović realized came from his own point of view as a child.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 21 Nov. 2025
Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 7 Jan. 2026
In movies like Sátántangó, Werckmeister Harmonies, and his extraordinary swan song, 2011’s The Turin Horse, the Hungarian filmmaker crafted dreamlike narratives populated with disillusioned, spiritually bereft characters facing harsh realities.
—Tim Grierson, Rolling Stone, 6 Jan. 2026
Everything was bathed in a crepuscular, dreamlike Mediterranean light.
—Javier Montes, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
Some of his boxes look like miniature cabinets of curiosities, others like Surrealist dioramas, windows into dreamlike worlds.
—Bruce Handy, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
The film’s dreamlike atmosphere veered toward the surreal, with Cruise and Kidman doing the weirdest acting of their lives and the orgygoers’ portrayal — the masks, the password, the choreography — striking many viewers as more goofy than sexy or sinister.
—Lane Brown, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2025
Kahlo resisted being labeled a surrealist, a style of art that's dreamlike and centers on a fascination with the unconscious mind.
—Arkansas Online, 30 Nov. 2025
Contrasts between the vibrant, dreamlike underwater world and the silence of her home reflect her inner struggle.
—Essie Assibu, Variety, 27 Nov. 2025
While Vid stubbornly refuses to leave and sometimes descends into a drunken stupor, Dule observes his father with a dreamlike wonder — a wonder that Jovanović realized came from his own point of view as a child.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 21 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dreamlike
Adjective
-
Its surreal position—perched high on a cliff above the eastern coastline—makes views from almost any spot, balcony, window, heart-thumping ones.—
Rosalyn Wikeley,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Jan. 2026
-
For Rousouli, bringing the show to Broadway after nearly a decade feels surreal.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Her hair continues to tell that fantastical story with Rapunzel-like length, the loosest waves, and casually wispy bangs.—
Marci Robin,
Allure,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Kendricks, in particular, was fantastic and made the game-winning pass breakup.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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First, of course, is Nakache’s incredible resilience in the face of the demons of his past, which stem from the greater history of his country.—
Destiny Jackson,
Deadline,
7 Jan. 2026
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There were some incredible individual seasons across positions like San Francisco RB Christian McCaffrey, Seattle WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cleveland DE Myles Garrett.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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His work is marked by unusual, even bizarre, material choices that encrust spatial compositions reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright’s innovative open space plans.—
Edward Keegan,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Jan. 2026
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Some unnamed Chicago bartender in the early 1880s had the improbable idea of taking a Whiskey Sour and adding a little red wine to the top, inventing in a bizarre flash of insightone of the great warm weather whiskey drinks of our time.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
10 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dreamlike.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dreamlike. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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