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Synonyms

absurd

American  
[uhb-surd, -zurd] / əbˈsɜrd, -ˈzɜrd /

adjective

  1. utterly or obviously senseless, illogical, or untrue; contrary to all reason or common sense; laughably foolish or false.

    an absurd explanation.
    Synonyms:
    nonsensical, ludicrous, silly, irrational
    Antonyms:
    sensible, logical

noun

  1. the quality or condition of existing in a meaningless and irrational world.

absurd British  
/ əbˈsɜːd /

adjective

  1. at variance with reason; manifestly false

  2. ludicrous; ridiculous

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. (sometimes capital) philosophy the conception of the world, esp in Existentialist thought, as neither designed nor predictable but irrational and meaningless

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

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

  • absurdity noun
  • absurdly adverb
  • absurdness noun
  • superabsurd adjective
  • superabsurdly adverb
  • superabsurdness noun

Etymology

Origin of absurd

First recorded in 1550–60, absurd is from the Latin word absurdus out of tune, uncouth, ridiculous. See ab-, surd

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.

"You can go back over history, and you end up in a completely absurd position," he said.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

“Tow” is a testament to following your favorite performers to the ends of the Earth, just to see what absurd things they may do next.

From Salon • Mar. 22, 2026

The “Chuck Norris facts” phenomenon — a stream of absurd one-liners casting him as an invincible force of nature — helped turn the actor into a meme sensation before memes were a business.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 20, 2026

Plus, the writers loved the phenomenon of hot sauce companies having such absurd names — think “Slap Ya Mama.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2026

Uncle Jack was going to pay him an absurd amount to visit his purebred Persian cat.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

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.