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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KoKo’s Earth Control (1928) Imaginative, sassy, surreal and nonlinear characterize films from the Fleischer Studios, which battled the Walt Disney Co. for animation supremacy during the 1920s and ’30s, with their competing styles delighting audiences and leading to many technical advancements.Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Dec. 2024
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Acutely self-aware but nevertheless unapologetic, Vasquez steers his surreal and cynical midnight treasure just to the point of mainstream acceptability here.Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 13 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Yet the sheer volume of healthcare data is nearly incomprehensible.Premier Contributor, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
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Disney first unveiled their new CGI design for Stitch at their D23 convention back in August, but Stitch's personality is all in his chaotic movements and incomprehensible alien sounds.Christian Holub, EW.com, 25 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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While most incidents have come in New Jersey, other states, including Maryland, Virginia, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York, have also reported unusual drone activity to law enforcement.Maya Homan, USA TODAY, 17 Dec. 2024
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But when physicians look at a pool of unusual test results, the chaotic sequencing pattern could flag whether something more serious may be going on and the mother could benefit from additional testing, Bianchi said.Jacqueline Howard, CNN, 16 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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However, one of them—a yellow-eyed wolf — saved her, creating an inexplicable bond between them.Matt Grobar, Deadline, 25 Nov. 2024
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On Washington: Will allowing two kick-return touchdowns in the fourth quarter and missing an extra point that would have forced overtime during an inexplicable home defeat to the Dallas Cowboys wind up defining this once-promising Commanders season?Mike Sando, The Athletic, 25 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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The lines — in banana yellows, tangerine oranges, cranberry reds — twist and turn and suggest an irrational understanding of how the universe works.Ray Mark Rinaldi, The Denver Post, 16 Dec. 2024
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Conversely, what then could be more wasteful, more undesirable, and more irrational than negating a large share of these conversion gains by wasting them?Vaclav Smil, WIRED, 12 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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For instance, the decrease in price and even physical size of core elements like batteries, processing chips and bandwidth have allowed for the creation of devices that provide previously unfathomable experiences.Jon Kirchner, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
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The circumstances of your mother’s death are unfathomable for anyone who’ll read this.Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Curiosity In The Billable Hour World In a world where every minute counts, taking what may feel like the long way around can seem illogical.Hunter McMahon, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024
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This is a holiday movie, so Avery and Logan decide to handle this situation in the most illogical way possible.Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 27 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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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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But when the meeting started, the audio was garbled and unintelligible as city staff made a presentation on the item.Luke Harold, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Feb. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Kafkaesque.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Kafkaesque. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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