surreal

adjective

Definition of surrealnext
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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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 surreal That familiarity has certainly worked in the movie’s favor among some viewers, particularly those invested in its maximalist approach to both familial melodrama and semi-surreal scares. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 12 Oct. 2026 Stepping onto the train felt surreal, an experience previously confined to my trips aboard. — Sophia Dyer, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Oct. 2026 Coming home to a hostile crowd had to feel surreal … and things only got weirder from there. — Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 12 Oct. 2026 The effect dissipates somewhat whenever Cahyono resorts to less suggestive, more blatantly surreal imagery. — Kambole Campbell, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for surreal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surreal
  1. irrational
  2. weird
  3. strange
  4. unreasonable
  5. absurd
  6. unusual
  7. meaningless
  8. unreasoning
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
  • Undoubtedly, a stack of crazy, low-IQ and weird lies will follow.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The Sagittarius Moon opposes Uranus, and a schedule change, weird mood, or surprise request could throw off your rhythm.
    — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of weird
Adjective
  • That sentence would have sounded like insanity a few decades ago, but in the strange world of Hollywood in the 2020s, weirder might really be better.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Fielder is a refreshingly candid guide through this strange land.
    — David Mack, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of strange
Adjective
  • But Michael Edney, who worked at the OLC under Bush, said the opinion’s reading of executive privilege was not unreasonable, given the importance that some presidents place on outside consultation.
    — Perry Stein, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Both sides have accused each other of being unreasonable and of ignoring practical concerns about voting and election security, though in very different ways.
    — Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of unreasonable
Adjective
  • This episode notably lacked any nod to Trump, though mentions of the president as a whole have been brief compared to the previous season, when the president was the show’s focal point for absurd antics.
    — Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
  • And Saturday’s win proved that his plan to pursue championships — something that seemed absurd amid a lost 2025 season — has a real possibility of paying off with one.
    — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of absurd
Adjective
  • Six months after Vincent’s suicide, Theo died from the ravages of syphilis, leaving Jo a young widow with a baby to support, not much money, and an unusual inheritance—Vincent’s paintings—more than 400 in total.
    — Joan Martelli, Time, 17 Oct. 2026
  • While his neighbors weren’t alarmed enough by the unusual sight to call security, Abrams wasn’t as lucky during filming at Radford Studios in Studio City.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of unusual
Adjective
  • Over the next two games, defenses stopped Baugh in his tracks, limiting him to just 72 yards on 27 carries and a meaningless TD late in a 38-19 loss to South Carolina.
    — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The point is that in this new format, games that take place in September, or even early October, will feel more meaningless than ever.
    — Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of meaningless
Adjective
  • But in each event—in the living act, the undoubted deed—there, some unknown but still reasoning thing puts forth the mouldings of its features from behind the unreasoning mask.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 July 2026
  • Roosevelt surely understood that nameless, unreasoning, unjustified fear cannot be eradicated.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 9 June 2026
Definition of unreasoning

Browse Nearby Words

surprisingly
surreal
surreality
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Cite this Entry

“Surreal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surreal. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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