surrealism

noun

sur·​re·​al·​ism sə-ˈrē-ə-ˌli-zəm 

 also  -ˈrā-

: the principles, ideals, or practice of producing fantastic or incongruous imagery or effects in art, literature, film, or theater by means of unnatural or irrational juxtapositions and combinations

surrealist

sə-ˈrē-ə-list 

 also  -ˈrā-

noun or adjective

Examples of surrealism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Crossing genres of surrealism, horror, and comedy, the ABC series brought a level of cinematic artistry rarely seen on the small screen while keeping audiences hooked with its watershed season-long mystery. —EW.com, 8 Apr. 2025

Jacques Wei offered the destination show of the season, bringing guests to the crown-like top floor of the Shanghai landmark Bund Center, with a sprawling view of the city skyline, for a collection that infused old-school Parisian glam with new-age surrealism. —Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 1 Apr. 2025

Amid Sparklehorse’s woozy surrealism, this is a suitably odd dose of tenderness. —Zach Schonfeld, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2024

Her surrealism isn’t the capital-S import from Europe. —Jeremy Lybarger, ARTnews.com, 26 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French surréalisme, from sur- + réalisme realism

First Known Use

1925, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for surrealism

• idealism
• neorealism