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 Words From

• sur·real·ly adverb
• sur·re·al·i·ty [s, uh, -ree-, al, -i-tee], 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

Among the many things we’ve learned during these surreal times is how to appreciate exploring our own backyards, local parks, and neighborhoods.

From Outside Online

There is something surreal about being in the biggest economic downturn since the 1930s, and yet day after day hearing extraordinary stories of business success.

From Fortune

It is very surreal, but let’s get back to SEO because that is what Pam Auugst of Pam Ann Marketing and I spoke about that day.

From Search Engine Land

This fall, what passes for education will be a surreal world of inequality.

From Voice of San Diego

More than half a billion years ago, during the Ediacaran Period, a surreal world of life overran the ocean floor.

From Quanta Magazine

“It was a little bit surreal to know that this was unfolding there,” Coren said.

From The Daily Beast

The insurrectionists seemed actors in a surreal episode of revolutionary play-acting in which the curtain was about to fall.

From The Daily Beast

A slow, surreal tide of deformation has appeared throughout the city.

From The Daily Beast

There followed a series of rooms and scenes, showing various horrors or surreal scenes.

From The Daily Beast

But Fox always manages to push the boundaries and make things just a little surreal.

From The Daily Beast