KAFKAESQUE Definition & Meaning

Kafkaesque

[kahf-kuh-esk]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

relating to, characteristic of, or resembling the literary work of Franz Kafka; marked by a senseless, disorienting, often menacing complexity: Kafkaesque bureaucracies.
the Kafkaesque terror of the endless interrogations;
Kafkaesque bureaucracies.

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of Kafkaesque¹

First recorded in 1945–50; Kafka + -esque

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

People generally use "Kafkaesque" as a metaphor, perhaps to describe an especially aggravating trip to the DMV.

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“It’s creating the potential for some Kafkaesque bureaucratic nightmares every time they make a mistake — and there will be mistakes.”

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At Slate, Mark Joseph Stern explains this is worse than Kafkaesque horror:

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I thought things could get no worse than this Kafkaesque blackhole.

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Cutler-Kreutz, who co-wrote and co-directed with his brother, David, laments a “Kafkaesque” immigration system labyrinthine enough to confuse native-born Americans, much less noncitizens attempting to follow the rules to gain legal status.

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When To Use

What does Kafkaesque mean?

Kafkaesque is used to describe situations that are disorientingly and illogically complex in a surreal or nightmarish way.Kafkaesque comes from the name of author Franz Kafka, who lived from 1883 to 1924. It can be used to describe any situation or literature that resembles his work, which often involves characters navigating bizarre bureaucracies (unnecessarily complicated government systems full of confusing and contradictory procedures and paperwork).Example: I had a nightmare about trying to get my driver’s license at the DMV that was positively Kafkaesque—I had to fill out 18 forms in a language I didn’t understand, and the clerk was a giant lobster.

Kafka kaftan

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