Oppressively bizarre, illogical, or nightmarish — reminiscent of Franz Kafka's fiction where individuals are trapped in absurd, dehumanizing systems.
From Franz Kafka (1883–1924), Czech-born German-language writer. His novels The Trial and The Metamorphosis depict protagonists crushed by incomprehensible bureaucracies. The adjective emerged in the 1940s after his posthumous fame.
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