as in irrational
very strange or unusual; having the quality of a dream
a surreal atmosphere at the festival The whole situation was completely surreal.
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Recent Examples of surreal
Descend its famously crooked path, flanked by cascading hydrangeas and storybook Edwardian homes—then watch cars zigzag through eight tight switchbacks while tourists crowd the sidewalks, snapping photos of its surreal descent.
—
Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Gold baubles and hardware have been a fixture in Schiaparelli’s surreal denim pieces.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 21 Jan. 2026
The progression has been surreal to watch and be a part of.
—Rick Mauch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Jan. 2026
For the Heaths, recounting the details feels surreal even now.
—Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for surreal
Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Gold baubles and hardware have been a fixture in Schiaparelli’s surreal denim pieces.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 21 Jan. 2026
The progression has been surreal to watch and be a part of.
—Rick Mauch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Jan. 2026
For the Heaths, recounting the details feels surreal even now.
—Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for surreal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surreal
Adjective
-
Tempering the not-so-irrational fears out there about AI replacing human workers, Jensen offered a more optimistic view.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
21 Jan. 2026
-
In that space, intuition, which was once dismissed as irrational or unreliable, has started to re-enter the conversation.—
William Jones
January 21,
Miami Herald,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
There’s a weird kind of rigor that results from going through something that many times.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The Emmy-winning host ended last season with a telethon auctioning off weird memorabilia from previous episodes of the show.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The choice of Olivier Boscagli at left-back at Fulham, for example, a contributing factor in Chukwueze’s equaliser, was strange.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
-
In a dispatch from Minneapolis, chaun webster considers the strange familiarity of ICE and the limits of our language.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Asked if the White House opposes splitting up the bills, a second White House official dismissed Democratic demands for DHS changes as unreasonable rather than addressing that question.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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At the same time, protections against unreasonable searches and seizures must be honored; law enforcement should not bypass judicial oversight when entering private homes or conducting operations.—
Eric Balliet,
Denver Post,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
These politicians who are in their 80s and now 90s continuing to run for office is absurd.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Rates are soaring at absurd levels, but what’s worse is what many homeowners are getting in return — less coverage, fewer payouts and other negative effects.—
Dave Lieber,
Dallas Morning News,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
This time hosted against the dramatic architecture of Verona’s Roman Arena, this ceremony will celebrate the achievements of athletes from around the world, setting an unusual precedent of differing from the location of the opening ceremony.—
Sam Leveridge,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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The film takes some departures from the visual styles found in Pickford’s other films, invoking an unusual tone of despair while deploying camera angles and lighting akin to German Expressionist cinema.—
Mike Barnes,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
His 2010 Cy Young victory despite a 13-12 record marked a turning point where win-loss record went from being the most important pitcher stat to one that’s borderline meaningless.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
25 Jan. 2026
-
Dismissing such conflicts as a grotesque but meaningless assemblage of scandals—the love child of Teapot Dome and Watergate—would be a mistake.—
Walter Russell Mead,
The Atlantic,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Bainbridge knew about secrets and unreasoning shame.—
Christopher Tayler,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Let sound political prescience but take the place of an unreasoning prejudice, and this will be done.—
Frederick Douglass,
The Atlantic,
16 Aug. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Surreal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surreal. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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