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 What happened next only made the experience feel more surreal. — Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 27 July 2026 With an abundance of genre-crossing indulgences that are scary, surreal, and sometimes silly, the Paramount+ hit is operating at full warp speed in this penultimate outing, the debut episode of which just premiered on July 23, 2026. — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 24 July 2026 Painterly compositions, operatic violence, and surreal emotional logic overwhelm the audience in twisted worlds that overwhelm first and explain second. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 24 July 2026 The accompanying video unfolds as a kaleidoscopic fantasy, with Whack making a scene-stealing appearance amid a series of increasingly surreal twists. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 23 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
  • In both cases, cheap credit fueled the irrational exuberance.
    — Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 21 July 2026
  • An irrational holding on to the possibility of a comeback, if that was the word if no one noticed you’d retired in the first place.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 July 2026
Definition of irrational
Adjective
  • Chip Honcho seems unlikely to be enormously loved by the track money, but weirder things have happened.
    — Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • This is a problem with anything that gets into that weird private equity, conglomerate zone.
    — Walden Green, Pitchfork, 30 July 2026
Definition of weird
Adjective
  • The catfish in that Vermont lake has joined a very strange club.
    — John Drake, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
  • Of all the peculiar assignments a newspaper reporter can undertake, writing advance obituaries for local notables who are still very much alive is one of the strangest.
    — Suzanne Van Atten, AJC.com, 26 July 2026
Definition of strange
Adjective
  • From the second Eldridge was drafted, a little devil appeared on your shoulder and whispered unreasonable expectations into your ear.
    — Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 13 July 2026
  • In a poll on the post, 95% voted that this parent is NOT being unreasonable.
    — Melissa Willets, Parents, 12 July 2026
Definition of unreasonable
Adjective
  • Open the requisition on a Monday and the number is already absurd.
    — Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • Their air of slightly absurd quasi-spontaneity is nicely amplified by the jittery yet unobtrusive rhythms of the direction and Yost’s editing.
    — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 28 July 2026
Definition of absurd
Adjective
  • Changes in color, cloudiness, or unusual appearance can be signs the medication may not be stable anymore.
    — Judy Koutsky, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
  • These are cases that were acquired in the US, rather than from travel abroad, which makes this year unusual.
    — Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
Definition of unusual
Adjective
  • Both day-three draft picks in 2025, both battled injuries early in the season last year, and neither earned enough trust to see significant playing time until the meaningless season finale against the Giants.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 July 2026
  • Despite his youth, Ward can’t escape the Netflix Quarterback Injury Curse and he gets knocked out of the last meaningless game of the season.
    — Darren Cooper, Forbes.com, 21 July 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 2 Aug. 2026.

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