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 Soar over the dramatic Suguta Valley before landing in the Chalbi Desert, where sweeping sand dunes give way to the surreal turquoise waters of Africa’s largest desert lake. — Nicola Shepherd, Travel + Leisure, 11 Aug. 2026 For Mike Danton, that dream became one of the most surreal chapters in NHL history. — Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 2026 Multiple times over the weekend, Twins decision-makers acknowledged the surreal nature of their position only one year after the biggest fire sale in major-league history, in which 10 players were traded off the roster. — Dan Hayes, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026 And in 2019, Texas guitarist Hayden Pedigo ran a surreal campaign for Amarillo city council. — Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 4 Aug. 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 policy is particularly irrational when applied to bicyclists and pedestrians.
    — Jeffrey T. Donner, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2026
  • For all the film focuses on Carlson’s irrational attempts to peg the murder on gay people, the actual gay man Tom disappears from the narrative for long periods of time.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 31 July 2026
Definition of irrational
Adjective
  • But Fried’s thought is far too varied and weird—closer to Manny Farber’s than Clement Greenberg’s—to permit dogmatic religiosity for long.
    — Carlos Valladares, ARTnews.com, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The power did something weird, and the lights kind of exploded almost.
    — Rashad Williams, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of weird
Adjective
  • The explanation behind this family man’s strange case is well chronicled in many Chicago and New York news stories.
    — Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Symptoms include anxiety, hypervigilance, confusion and mania, and taking on activities that might be considered strange.
    — Deborah Becker, NPR, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of strange
Adjective
  • The standard is very low, and that is 'more probable than not' that this child may have been put in an unreasonable risk of harm.
    — Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 9 Aug. 2026
  • In such an environment, Fundstrat’s Tom Lee has argued that the S & P 500 can climb to 8,000 over the next few weeks, a level that is not too unreasonable given that the broader index was last trading around 7,750 — only 3% away.
    — Sarah Min, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of unreasonable
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, Mike Lindell, MyPillow CEO and amplifier of the most absurd of MAGA’s many election-denying claims, was defeated convincingly in his bid for the GOP nomination for governor.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Those black rectangles in Study for a Black Drawing are absurd attempts at the ideal void.
    — Aaron Fagan, Artforum, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of absurd
Adjective
  • At the recommendation of assistant director of player personnel Jason Stein, the Mets signed Yan to a two-year minor-league deal, an unusual contract for a healthy pitcher.
    — Will Sammon, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Her parents approach sexuality head on, almost with glee, which is certainly unusual for their time and place.
    — Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of unusual
Adjective
  • Knowing what ingredients are required on paper is meaningless if the chef has never actually turned on the stove or managed a high-stakes kitchen rush.
    — Roberta Matuson, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Jared Sternberg, founder of Gondwana Ecotours, argues that comparing Alaska to Phoenix is meaningless.
    — Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 7 Aug. 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 17 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of surreal for Spanish Speakers

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