Kafkaesque

adjective

Definition of Kafkaesquenext
1
as in surreal

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Dissimilar Words
2
as in incomprehensible

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Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of Kafkaesque For the average soccer fan, the quest for 2026 World Cup tickets started last year when FIFA opened its Kafkaesque lottery system. — Natalie B. Compton, Washington Post, 5 June 2026 Much of the book hovers on the edge of reality before diving into moments of Kafkaesque disorder. — Via Catapult, Literary Hub, 5 June 2026 On some level, Hasna senses that such a soulless, Kafkaesque environment has to be hiding worse evils than paycheck withholding and infrequent bathroom breaks. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 18 May 2026 One major limiting factor for figure skating’s broadcast opportunities has been the sport’s reliance on music, the licensing for which has required Kafkaesque levels of clearance, even in the lead-up to Milan. — Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 24 Mar. 2026 The funniest scenes in One Battle After Another find Leonardo DiCaprio’s explosives expert locked in a Kafkaesque squabble with an operator on a revolutionary hotline. — Craigh Barboza, HollywoodReporter, 15 Mar. 2026 Since then, bank customers have complained that they’re still getting cut out of the financial system, but that firms won’t say why — leaving them in a Kafkaesque limbo. — Tom Schoenberg, Bloomberg, 12 Mar. 2026 The high court agreed, in a 5-4 decision with Kafkaesque logic. — Joe Mathews, Mercury News, 10 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for Kafkaesque
  1. surreal
  2. incomprehensible
  3. unusual
  4. inexplicable
  5. irrational
  6. unfathomable
  7. strange
  8. unintelligible
Adjective
  • At that point, the film pivots to a more surreal register, presenting bright, clear skies that are slowly, eerily engulfed in darkness.
    — Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Yuasa is known for surreal storytelling and a distinct anime visual style for films like Night is Short, Walk on Girl, Ride Your Wave, his directorial debut Mind Game and Lu Over the Wall, an Annecy award winner.
    — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of surreal
Adjective
  • Painfully aware of this, Shawn waited for one of the drunk old men to comment, heckle, make one of those incomprehensible jokes that drew rude laughter from adults.
    — Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Sure, the story is incomprehensible, and Dylan is far from a great actor.
    — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of incomprehensible
Adjective
  • Atomic hydrogen’s unusual reactivity could potentially be useful in other areas of organic chemistry and, over the longer term, biological sciences.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The unusual diversion also led to discussion among travelers online, some of whom shared their own experiences with restroom problems aboard flights.
    — Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of unusual
Adjective
  • Then, Washington tight end Decker DeGraaf caught a pass and took off down the sideline, the former Glendora High standout running through two feeble-arm tackles on the way to an inexplicable 42-yard touchdown.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Keeping her husband happy yet oblivious—managing his baby fever with staged fake miscarriages—only goes so far when Martha begins suffering an inexplicable illness that culminates in an impossible pregnancy.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of inexplicable
Adjective
  • The industrial revolutions of the past produced enormous value alongside bankruptcies, dislocations, and periods of irrational exuberance.
    — Brian Solis, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • If anyone can reconstruct Apéry’s reasoning, the odd values of zeta may finally be proven irrational.
    — Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of irrational
Adjective
  • The Baltimore Ravens were in a goal-to-go setting, trailing 23-15 and needing to do the statistically unfathomable — according to CBS, teams behind by 8-plus points inside the final minute had lost 581 straight games.
    — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 12 Oct. 2026
  • From 2021 through last season, the Knicks boasted an unfathomable 18-2 record against their Eastern Conference counterpart Washington Wizards.
    — Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of unfathomable
Adjective
  • The small army at Kostabi World turned out images of featureless characters moving through strange, otherworldly scenes, caught between intimacy, alienation, and the discomfort of contemporary life.
    — Robb Report, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The first bit of growth might be especially strange-looking, says Sutcliffe.
    — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of strange
Adjective
  • Then Mikayla makes an almost unintelligible crack about Doug, which sends Taylor back into a rage spiral.
    — Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Assuming viewers understood the history of English soccer — or even the offside rule — could make the broadcasts unintelligible for new fans who understood neither.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of unintelligible

Browse Nearby Words

kaffeeklatsches
Kafkaesque
kahuna
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Cite this Entry

“Kafkaesque.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Kafkaesque. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026.

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