surreal

[ suh-ree-uhl, -reel ]
See synonyms for surreal on Thesaurus.com
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.

Origin of surreal

1
First recorded in 1935–40; back formation from surrealism; see sur-1, real1

Other words from surreal

  • sur·re·al·ly, adverb
  • sur·re·al·i·ty [suh-ree-al-i-tee], /sə riˈæl ɪ ti/, noun

Words Nearby surreal

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use surreal in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for surreal

surreal

/ (səˈrɪəl) /


adjective
  1. suggestive of surrealism; dreamlike

noun
  1. the surreal the atmosphere or qualities evoked by surrealism

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012