surreal

[suh-ree-uhl, -reel]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of surrealism, an artistic and literary style; surrealistic.

2. having the disorienting, hallucinatory quality of a dream; unreal; fantastic.

   surreal complexities of the bureaucracy.

Other Word Forms

• surreally adverb
• surreality noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of surreal¹

First recorded in 1935–40; back formation from surrealism ( def. ); sur- ¹ ( def. ), real ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

Their thoughts echoed a surreal calm at Bethpage's famed Black Course, with spectators not allowed on to the property until Tuesday.

From BBC

"It feels quite surreal to be confined on this floating bubble," she writes.

From BBC

"It's so surreal to be sitting watching yourself on screen," he says.

From BBC

We’re forced into a surreal double life — part of our selves tracking each new assault on democracy, while another part maintaining the fiction that life goes on as usual.

From Salon

“A Big Bold Beautiful Journey” is a surreal, color-saturated quest about healing childhood scars in order to have healthy adult relationships.

From Los Angeles Times