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 And in 2019, Texas guitarist Hayden Pedigo ran a surreal campaign for Amarillo city council. — Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 4 Aug. 2026 The clip depicts Grande as a performer repeatedly critiqued by a panel of judges for her looks before taking a darkly surreal turn, echoing themes of public scrutiny that have surrounded the singer for years. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 3 Aug. 2026 The Sullivans’ sparse, slightly surreal arrangements take an economic approach. — W. Reed Putnam, Pitchfork, 30 July 2026 Two rising progeny of big names sharing space on a call sheet would be surreal enough, but the series that small screen impresario Ryan Murphy adapted from the novel by Bret Easton Ellis goes one step further. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 30 July 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
  • 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
  • Retailers’ reputations as poor environments for technology innovation is not unjustified, but their behavior is not completely irrational either.
    — Richard Kestenbaum, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of irrational
Adjective
  • The city’s street style continues to champion weird-but-it-works combinations over predictable formulas, and individuality above all else.
    — Kelsey Stewart, InStyle, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The vibes are awkward all around, and things only get weirder when Emira pulls Georgia aside to chat.
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of weird
Adjective
  • Investigators later ruled out trains and power lines as possible causes — and traced the fire’s point of origin to the same spot Child witnessed the man’s strange behavior.
    — Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026
  • And Dad actually makes an uncredited vocal cameo on one of the album’s more blessedly strange tracks.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of strange
Adjective
  • Which is not entirely unreasonable given this very specific set of circumstances.
    — Brian Grubb, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Recalls are issued when vehicle owners, regulators, or manufacturers determine that a potentially faulty component presents an unreasonable safety risk or fails to meet specified standards.
    — Jim Gorzelany, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of unreasonable
Adjective
  • The show explores the darkly absurd side of modern-day male friendship.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Just absurd, and all happening in his first full season in the majors.
    — Matt Piper, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of absurd
Adjective
  • The conflict played out under the watchful eye of Johnson’s senior adviser, Jason Lee — an unusual involvement for a high-ranking mayoral staffer, given that the $8 million grant is administered by a separate department.
    — Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Guerrero’s struggles have been particularly noticeable, creating an unusual disconnect between his superstar status and his production.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of unusual
Adjective
  • Jared Sternberg, founder of Gondwana Ecotours, argues that comparing Alaska to Phoenix is meaningless.
    — Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Sure, Thursday’s Pro Football Hall of Fame game between the Panthers and Arizona Cardinals was nothing more than a meaningless exhibition in which few, if any, actual starters played.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 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 11 Aug. 2026.

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