surreal
Americanadjective
-
of, relating to, or characteristic of surrealism, an artistic and literary style; surrealistic.
-
having the disorienting, hallucinatory quality of a dream; unreal; fantastic.
surreal complexities of the bureaucracy.
Other Word Forms
- surreality noun
- surreally adverb
Etymology
Origin of surreal
First recorded in 1935–40; back formation from surrealism ( def. ); sur- 1 ( def. ), real 1 ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Madekwe said it feels "surreal to be included this year" in the line up.
From BBC
A surreal drum duet between two East Asian world leaders has set the internet abuzz - and put a spotlight on Japan and South Korea's diplomatic relationship.
From BBC
“Super cool. Super surreal. Super humbled, blessed,” James said.
From Los Angeles Times
“It’s surreal to see this chapter come to a close — and it’s not how I imagined the story would unfold.”
From Los Angeles Times
Naomi Campbell said when her husband started having feeling in his toes it was "quite surreal" and "very overwhelming".
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
