nonsense

[non-sens, -suhns]

noun

1. words or language having little or no sense or meaning.

   Synonyms: twaddle, trumpery, trash, tommyrot, rubbish, rot, poppycock, piffle, moonshine, humbug, hooey, hokum, guff, gibberish, foolishness, folderol, flapdoodle, fiddle-faddle, drivel, bunk, bull, bosh, blether, blatherskite, blather, blarney, bilge water, bilge, baloney, balderdash

2. conduct, action, etc., that is senseless, foolish, or absurd.

   to have tolerated enough nonsense.

3. impudent, insubordinate, or otherwise objectionable behavior.

   He doesn't have to take that nonsense from you.

4. something absurd or fatuous.

   the utter nonsense of such a suggestion.

5. anything of trifling importance or of little or no use.

6. Genetics.,  a DNA sequence that does not code for an amino acid and is not transcribed (sense ).

nonsense

/ nɒnˈsɛnsɪkəl, ˈnɒnsəns /

noun

1. something that has or makes no sense; unintelligible language; drivel

2. conduct or action that is absurd

3. foolish or evasive behaviour or manners

   she'll stand no nonsense

4. See no-nonsense

5. things of little or no value or importance; trash

interjection

1. an exclamation of disagreement

nonsense

1. Relating to a mutation in a structural gene that changes a nucleotide triplet into a stop codon, thus prematurely terminating the polypeptide chain during protein synthesis.

2. See more at point mutation

Other Word Forms

• nonsensical adjective
• nonsensically adverb
• nonsensicalness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of nonsense¹

First recorded in 1605–15; non- + sense

Idioms and Phrases

see stuff and nonsense.

Example Sentences

"The idea that you can be good at reading people is absolute nonsense, and it's just like astrology or anything else," he said before heading into the castle.

Read more on BBC

His surrealist reimagining of Lewis Carroll’s Victorian children’s novel, “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” distorts the nonsense and whimsy: melting clocks and anxious White Rabbits, sinister playing cards and caterpillars on mushrooms.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

This is dangerous nonsense rooted in fear of African spirituality, said Britton.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"To us that always meant no nonsense, no hidden fees and no confusing terminology so that we can give students more time to focus on what really matters - their studies."

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Labour Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens called reports of a rift between UK and Welsh Labour "nonsense".

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Related Words

• absurdity 
• babble 
• baloney 
• bunk 
• craziness 
• drivel 
• folly 
• foolishness 
• gibberish 
• madness 
• rubbish 
• silliness 
• stupidity 
• trash