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

"It was surreal," recalls Gabriela, which is not her real name.

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“It was emotional and surreal. At first it felt so strange to be back, like we went back in time,” Romano says.

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"It's so surreal, we've worked so hard and that was such a tough game," said Lavelle, a key figure in the United States' triumphant 2019 Women's World Cup campaign in France.

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When this job was first pitched to me, it did feel a little bit surreal.

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The score goes on for the next hour to allude to a surreal emptiness.

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