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 Tomorrow may be even more surreal, with another day of oppressive heat and throngs of tourists in town to see what the president has billed as the biggest fireworks display in human history. — Hana Kiros, The Atlantic, 3 July 2026 After a minute, surveillance helicopters could be heard overhead, the spectacle of sheer joy mixing with the vibes of assassination-worthy leaders in a surreal and, frankly, slightly uncomfortable way. — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 2 July 2026 Although all the views are good, there's something almost surreal about the northern view, which takes in the living roof of the dramatic Vancouver Convention Centre across the street, as well as the Burrard Inlet and North Shore Mountains. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 July 2026 Things grow even more surreal when Jeffrey Epstein’s face appears in the sun, spoofing the Teletubbies, and Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Bill Clinton, and Steve Bannon take the place of Dipsy, Laa-Laa, Po, and Tinky-Winky. — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 3 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
  • Their ideas about it were often steeped in stereotypes suggesting that Buddhists were irrational and childish in their thinking.
    — Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 7 July 2026
  • Scammers often use isolation tactics in phone calls to panic the listener and rush them into making irrational choices that often have financial costs.
    — Ella Moore July 2, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026
Definition of irrational
Adjective
  • As the two form a close bond, Laila discovers there's some weird business going on within the house that threatens both of them.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • Confessions kicked off one of the weirdest eras in a career that has never been stingy with weirdness.
    — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 3 July 2026
Definition of weird
Adjective
  • Others may miss the warmth of a person who can read the room, handle a strange request or help when something goes wrong.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026
  • Canada coach Jesse Marsch gives strange interview after Morocco World Cup loss.
    — Alex Connor, USA Today, 5 July 2026
Definition of strange
Adjective
  • His certification is temporarily suspended due to excessive or unreasonable force from the incident, according to the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training.
    — Theresa Clift, Sacbee.com, 7 July 2026
  • Your request for back-to-back weeks off at the last minute is unreasonable.
    — Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 3 July 2026
Definition of unreasonable
Adjective
  • The 41-year-old is still an elite NBA player, which is still an absurd reality to consider.
    — Chris Branch, New York Times, 1 July 2026
  • The thesis rests on a claim that would have sounded absurd a year ago.
    — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of absurd
Adjective
  • Although his adoption listing didn't mention his unusual paws, his foster mom did.
    — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 5 July 2026
  • Indeed, that has led to the highly unusual situation of Australia not being the defending champions in either women’s World Cup, with India holding the 50-over title and New Zealand the T20 crown.
    — Paul Newman, New York Times, 5 July 2026
Definition of unusual
Adjective
  • One sure focus is the rampant grade inflation that exaggerates student achievement and has made graduating high school close to meaningless as an indicator of college preparedness.
    — U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 July 2026
  • This distinction between meaningful and meaningless data evokes signal versus noise, a communication concept formulated by the mathematician Claude Shannon.
    — Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of meaningless
Adjective
  • Roosevelt surely understood that nameless, unreasoning, unjustified fear cannot be eradicated.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 9 June 2026
  • Bainbridge knew about secrets and unreasoning shame.
    — Christopher Tayler, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 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 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on surreal

Nglish: Translation of surreal for Spanish Speakers

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