What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
surrealistic
Example
The painting was full of surrealistic elements, such as melting clocks and floating objects. [surrealistic: adjective]
Example
It felt surrealistic to be walking on the moon's surface. [surrealistic: adjective]
unreal
Example
The special effects made the monster look unreal. [unreal: adjective]
Example
Winning the lottery felt unreal to him. [unreal: adjective]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Unreal is more commonly used than surrealistic in everyday language. Unreal is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while surrealistic is less common and more specific to artistic or literary works.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between surrealistic and unreal?
Both surrealistic and unreal can be used in formal and informal contexts, but surrealistic may be more likely to be used in academic or artistic settings due to its association with the surrealism movement.
