absurd
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
-
at variance with reason; manifestly false
-
ludicrous; ridiculous
noun
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
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.
His replies yielded the best-selling 2014 book “What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions.”
From Washington Post • Sep. 12, 2022
In 2014, the internet cartoonist known for his XKCD.com stick-figure web comics published “What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions,” a book using math and science to answer the internet’s weirdest questions.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 8, 2022
Theatre of the Absurd pioneer Ionesco had called it an anti-Nazi play.
From Reuters • Nov. 24, 2021
"Absurd Planet" "Circus of Books" "El silencio del pantano" "The Plagues of Breslau" "The Willoughbys" "Win the Wilderness"
From Salon • Apr. 4, 2020
Absurd perhaps, but variants of this explanation in less transparent contexts might carry considerable force for people with strong enough preconceptions.
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
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.
