absurd
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
-
at variance with reason; manifestly false
-
ludicrous; ridiculous
noun
Synonym Usage
Absurd, ridiculous, preposterous all mean inconsistent with reason or common sense. Absurd means utterly opposed to truth or reason: an absurd claim. Ridiculous implies that something is fit only to be laughed at, perhaps contemptuously: a ridiculous suggestion. Preposterous implies an extreme of foolishness: a preposterous proposal.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of absurd
First recorded in 1550–60, absurd is from the Latin word absurdus out of tune, uncouth, ridiculous. See ab-, surd
Explanation
Something absurd is really silly, absolutely ridiculous, or total nonsense. Thinking you can wear flip flops and a bikini to the North Pole is an absurd idea, for example. If you run into someone dressed in an absurd outfit or watch a movie full of absurd jokes, you'll probably have a good laugh. But find yourself dealing with the absurd; you'll likely be stuck in a depressing existential crisis. The absurd describes a state of being where human life has no purpose and everything is completely irrational.
Vocabulary lists containing absurd
Unit 1: Telling Details
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"A Walk to the Jetty," Vocabulary from a novel excerpt
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The Pigman
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Everything we do that’s perceived as absurd always starts from a real place of: ‘Something like this exists, and we’re going to expand upon it and go deeper and weirder with it.’
From Slate • Jul. 12, 2026
No longer were millions arrested on absurd charges or simply to fill a quota.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 10, 2026
And breakout cast member Ashley Padilla was overlooked too, her comic timing apparently too absurd for voters’ tastes.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2026
Lam said the idea that Ahmed could not be deported due to a "decades-old law is as just absurd as it is sickening".
From BBC • Jul. 6, 2026
She turned to him, and it was such an absurd question that both gave a snort of laughter.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
