Many adjectives in English have nuanced synonyms that can be tricky to use. In my most recent article (titled The Boy and the Heron), I used adjectives such as otherworldly and mystical to describe a fictional world of fantasy. Today, I’d like to briefly share some similar words that can be used to describe things like this.

To begin, words like unusual and odd can describe things that are out of the ordinary (not normal, not usual, or not common). If something is more than just unusual, perhaps also unsettling or disturbing, we can describe it as weird or strange, and if it’s very strange, perhaps even bewildering, then we can use a word like bizarre! The grannies in The Boy and the Heronare unusual, but the heron character is downright bizarre! 

If something seems to be affected by (or seems to have been created by) magic, it is said to be magical, but this word can also describe something that is incredibly beautiful or delightful (even if there is no actual magic). 

Ex. This world of fantasy is inhabited by magical creatures. (creatures created by or possessing magic)

Ex. I spent three magical nights in Spain. (beautiful and/or delightful nights)

Something which is supernatural is considered to be beyond scientific understanding or the laws of nature. It may relate to magic, spirits, demons/devils, or divine power (from gods). For example, a ghost is a supernatural being and the ability to walk on water is a supernatural power. These are things that cannot be explained by science or logic.

A mystical or mystic thing is one which is spiritual, magical, and/or mysterious. I described watching The Boy and the Heron as a “mystical ride” (“ride” meaning “journey” or “experience” here) precisely because the story is spiritual, magical, and very mysterious! 

Something that has a mysterious, obscure, hidden, or ambiguous meaning is said to be cryptic. It is often used to describe messages, utterances (things that are said), lyrics, puzzles/riddles, and clues/hints. Such things are hard to understand and may have some hidden or secret meaning. For me, the messages and morals of the story in The Boy and the Heron were a bit cryptic.

Fantastical or fantastic things seem imaginary, unreal/unrealistic, or strange and wonderful, like something out of a story. Just think of the creatures from the movie Fantastic Beasts or the world of any fantasy genre movie or game! In this context, these two words are synonyms, but only fantastic (not fantastical) can be used to mean “wonderful” or “great.” 

Something which is otherworldly has unusual qualities relating to an imaginary, spiritual, or alien world. Creatures in a fantasy story may be described as otherworldly beings, but we can also use it to describe real things that seem unreal or unbelievable. For example, we can refer to unusual geographic features (such as the Danakil Depression) as otherworldly landscapes. 

Something which is said to be dreamlike has the unreal qualities of a dream. A dreamlike scene would be one so unusual or so beautiful that it should only exist in a dream. It would be hard to believe that such a scene is real.

The word surreal combines many of the ideas above, conveying the idea that something is strange, unreal, fantastic, or dreamlike. Something surreal is said to have the disorienting, hallucinatory quality of a dream. If you have seen the paintings of Salvador Dali, in the surrealist style, then you have seen surreal images! Surreal things are sometimes described informally as trippy, which refers to the hallucinatory effect produced by taking a psychedelic drug. For an example of something trippy, look no further than The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine!

Well, I think that’s enough for now, but keep an eye out for even more adjectives like these ones in film reviews, video games titles, and travel brochures. It seems that magical things and places can be found everywhere these days!