1
as in surreal
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2
as in incomprehensible
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Recent Examples of Kafkaesque
The Productivity Paradox Haly’s future is snagged in a heartbreaking and maddening plot twist, one that may seem all too familiar in our Kafkaesque healthcare system.
—
Naveen Rao, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
His mirthless laugh might have suggested Kafkaesque persecution, or Hardyesque inexorability of fate.
—Tad Friend, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2024
Much like his success building houses in Muara Angke, Prabowo wants to sidestep Indonesia’s Kafkaesque bureaucracy with direct action.
—Charlie Campbell / Jakarta, TIME, 14 Oct. 2024
The film centers on Leopold Trepper, a World War II spy mastermind, who faced a Kafkaesque struggle in 1970s Poland.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 18 Aug. 2024
Upon his Kafkaesque arrest and inexplicable 15-year imprisonment, Choi’s Oh Dae-su is an amnesiac hero in the vein of Jason Bourne, carrying the film by serving as a stand-in for any vengeful impulses that his audiences might harbor.
—Indiewire Staff, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2024
More to Read Judge vacates conviction of man whose identity was stolen in ‘Kafkaesque’ case
April 11, 2024
A thief stole his identity, but nobody believed him.
—Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2024
Many episodes circle around a scandal in Guantánamo’s history to draw out the brutally Kafkaesque nature of life on the inside.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 2 May 2024
Obsessed with procedure, reports, and committees, the bloc has always been a bogeyman for governments both inside and outside it, a symbol of constitutional overreach and Kafkaesque bureaucracy meant to frustrate earnest national politicians trying to help their citizens.
—Saim Saeed, Foreign Affairs, 23 May 2019
Naveen Rao, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
His mirthless laugh might have suggested Kafkaesque persecution, or Hardyesque inexorability of fate.
—Tad Friend, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2024
Much like his success building houses in Muara Angke, Prabowo wants to sidestep Indonesia’s Kafkaesque bureaucracy with direct action.
—Charlie Campbell / Jakarta, TIME, 14 Oct. 2024
The film centers on Leopold Trepper, a World War II spy mastermind, who faced a Kafkaesque struggle in 1970s Poland.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 18 Aug. 2024
Upon his Kafkaesque arrest and inexplicable 15-year imprisonment, Choi’s Oh Dae-su is an amnesiac hero in the vein of Jason Bourne, carrying the film by serving as a stand-in for any vengeful impulses that his audiences might harbor.
—Indiewire Staff, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2024
More to Read Judge vacates conviction of man whose identity was stolen in ‘Kafkaesque’ case
April 11, 2024
A thief stole his identity, but nobody believed him.
—Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2024
Many episodes circle around a scandal in Guantánamo’s history to draw out the brutally Kafkaesque nature of life on the inside.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 2 May 2024
Obsessed with procedure, reports, and committees, the bloc has always been a bogeyman for governments both inside and outside it, a symbol of constitutional overreach and Kafkaesque bureaucracy meant to frustrate earnest national politicians trying to help their citizens.
—Saim Saeed, Foreign Affairs, 23 May 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for Kafkaesque
Adjective
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Invisible Sun is a surreal game of modern magic and mystery where players leave our fake reality for the mystical Acuality.Rob Wieland, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
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According to Pinterest, the basic premise of Butter Yellow is imaginative living that includes anything from a surreal modern yellow bubble vase to a doll-like swipe of yellow eye shadow.Lauren Thomann, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Because Lynch’s whole deal was about engagement — connection through friction, comprehension through acknowledging the incomprehensible world all around us, empathy by way of bridging the gap between disparate concepts.Ben Travers, IndieWire, 16 Jan. 2025
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The people who tend Altadena’s venerable deodar cedars have suffered incomprehensible community losses this week, but Santa Rosa Avenue, a.k.a.Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Use it to categorize spending, flag unusual costs and even suggest areas for potential savings.Aleesha Webb, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
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Starting Trotter in the playoffs would be an unusual decision by Fangio.Brooks Kubena, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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That London shows are often panned in New York is, beyond that, inexplicable.Jesse Green, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
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Why on earth Wolves weren’t wise to this most basic of Forest ploys, launching a counter via Gibbs-White, is pretty inexplicable.Tim Spiers, The Athletic, 6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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After a turbulent period of irrational exuberance followed by skepticism, the creator economy appears poised for its second major growth cycle, with M&A activity forecast to accelerate significantly in 2025.Ian Shepherd, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
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Now comes a cataclysm in the country’s foremost blue state that is traceable, in part, to irrational progressive priorities and may prove a millstone around the neck of one of the foremost talents on the Democratic bench, California governor Gavin Newsom.Rich Lowry, National Review, 15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The Jets’ record is 4-12, their season reaching a level of futility that seemed unfathomable when the year began.Zack Rosenblatt, The Athletic, 29 Dec. 2024
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Simply peeling apart the sides of a coffee filter was long considered a feat of unfathomable difficulty.James Somers, The New Yorker, 25 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Honolulu’s case is illogical on its face given that its allegations of damages stem from interstate greenhouse gas emissions.David Blackmon, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
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What’s hard about this, of course, is that fear is often illogical, and our wants can be, too.R. Eric Thomas, The Mercury News, 28 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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According to Klippenstein, parts of the document are unintelligible due to Mangione's handwriting.Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
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Instead, like 2022’s Smile, the end credits are accompanied by haunting unintelligible voices and sounds throughout.Tim Lammers, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Kafkaesque.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Kafkaesque. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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