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Glite Dictionary
surreal vein

surreal vein

9.2
A style that mixes real things with images from dreams
  • noun
  • /səˈrɪəl veɪn/
  • Literature
translation icon : estilo surrealista
  • The book is written throughout in a surreal vein, blending reality with fantasy.

Examples

  • Her sculptures display a surreal vein that recalls the work of Dalí.

  • The filmmaker's use of color and imagery shows his penchant for working in a surreal vein.

  • The painting was created in a surreal vein.

  • Many artists explore the surreal vein in their work.

  • Her sculptures display a surreal vein that recalls the dreamlike quality of Dalí's artwork.

  • The book is written throughout in a surreal vein, where the lines between reality and fantasy blur beautifully.

  • The filmmaker's unique approach to storytelling reveals his preference for a surreal vein filled with fantastic imagery.

Antonyms

realistic
65 4.1

Showing things as they are in real life

Surface Forms

surreal vein singular
surreal veins plural

Morphology

surreal + vein

The phrase composes the adjective 'surreal' (dreamlike) with the figurative sense of 'vein' (a characteristic tone or style), so the overall meaning 'in a surreal style/manner' is directly derivable from the parts. This is a straightforward compositional pattern found across languages (e.g. 'in a surreal tone/vein/register'), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Surreal vein uses vein like a thin streak or thread running through a painting, book, or film, and 'surreal' means 'dreamlike' or 'fantastic'. So saying something has a surreal vein means it keeps a steady line of strange, dreamlike images or feelings throughout.