chiefly US
: of, relating to, or suggestive of the works of Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel)
especially : having a playfully inventive or outlandish quality typical or reminiscent of the words and images found in children's stories like The Cat in the Hat and How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Seussian rhymes
an elaborate, Seussian contraption
… a fantastical landscape with Seussian trees and surprising, pleasing tiny details … Kirkus Reviews
Their ships … were dragged out of the water and into the muddy streets, where they found brash new lives as hotels and jailhouses—weird Dr. Seussian hybrids of vessel and building … Armistead Maupin

Examples of Seussian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Next: an exhibit where visitors can ride a Seussian tricycle with square wheels around an undulating yellow track. Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 23 June 2025 While David recommends the Seussian motifs, dramatic landscapes, unique vegetation, and rare wildlife, many found nowhere else on Earth, Tim recommends getting to know the vibrant culture of the Pokot, Samburu, Ol Malo, and Turkana people. Emese MacZko, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2025 As The Grinch, the big sell is the way Carrey naturally contorts his face to conjure the Seussian character’s trademark grimace. Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2024 The restaurant has moved a few blocks north, for one, and Solondz’s hair is now gray and Seussian in light wisps, his large features ornamented by bright-blue circular glasses. Elena Saavedra Buckley, The New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2024 See All Example Sentences for Seussian

Word History

First Known Use

1935, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Seussian was in 1935

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Cite this Entry

“Seussian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Seussian. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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