WordValesurrealism
art depicting the illogical imagery of dreams
In more detail
1. (noun) an artistic and literary movement of the 20th century that used strange or dreamlike images and ideas
2. (noun) the style or quality of surrealist art, writing, or film
Examples
- Surrealism emerged in the 1920s, influenced by psychology and the unconscious mind.
- The painting's surrealism made it feel dreamlike and bizarre.
How to use surrealism
Surrealism refers to the influential 20th-century artistic and literary movement that emphasized the unconscious mind, dream logic, and irrational juxtapositions, originating in the 1920s with roots in Dada. It is used both to describe the historical movement and the broader aesthetic quality of dreamlike or bizarre imagery. The term is common in art history, literary criticism, and cultural discussions.
Common phrases
- surrealism movement
- surrealist painter
- embrace surrealism
- elements of surrealism
- surrealist imagery
- surrealism in film
Synonyms
surrealist art · dreamlike imagery · abstract expressionism · magical realism · the absurd
Opposites
realism · naturalism · literalism
Word family
surrealist (noun/adjective) · surrealistic (adjective) · surrealists (plural noun)
A common mistake
Learners sometimes use 'surrealism' to mean merely 'unrealistic' or 'fantastical' without understanding its specific association with the psychoanalytic and artistic movement founded by André Breton.
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