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
  • But the question remained unsolved for polygons with irrational angles.
    — Sam Macdonald, Scientific American, 14 Aug. 2026
  • As a result, the argument goes, today's spending is irrational because the hardware would need to be replaced too frequently to generate an attractive return on investment, known as ROI.
    — , CNBC, 12 Aug. 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 Saturday order said that expecting LeVota’s attorneys to adequately prepare for trial before April would be unreasonable and that denying the request could interfere with his right to effective legal representation.
    — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 17 Aug. 2026
  • In her lawsuit, Phyllis Zorn said the raid violated protections for a free press, safeguards against unreasonable searches by law enforcement and a federal law that limits searches and seizures of journalists' materials.
    — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of unreasonable
Adjective
  • There has been something almost absurd about Ferran Torres’ summer.
    — Laia Cervelló Herrero, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • SpaceX’s Starlink constellation currently performs an average of 1,000 maneuvers a day to dodge potential collisions, a number that would have seemed absurd just a decade ago.
    — Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 18 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

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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 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on surreal

Nglish: Translation of surreal for Spanish Speakers

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