Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of absurdity
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English absurdite, from Middle French, from Late Latin absurditās; absurd + -ity
Explanation
An absurdity is something ridiculously foolish. The U.S. declaring war on Fiji would be an absurdity. This is the noun form of the adjective absurd, which means silly, hard-to-believe, and kind of crazy. Unless it's Halloween, it would be an absurdity to show up to school in a chicken suit. If your teacher taught math class with a fake French accent, that would also be an absurdity. A lot of comedies are full of absurdities, because an absurdity can be funny. If you're good at thinking of absurdities, maybe you should be a comedy writer.
Vocabulary lists containing absurdity
Stargirl
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"The Witches" by Roald Dahl, Chapters 1–5
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Vocabulary from the Sixth Democratic Debate, February 11, 2016
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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.
The energy was slightly festive, lightened by the absurdity of the situation.
From Slate • May 4, 2026
Investigative journalist Vicky Ward, who has reported on Epstein for decades, captured the absurdity plainly.
From Salon • Apr. 13, 2026
Which is why some of the best moments in these shows are moments of absurdity.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026
“Just the underlying absurdity or joke really gives you the ability to go to these really intense emotional places,” she says.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026
Zoya Nazyalensky—a powerful Squaller, gorgeous to the point of absurdity, and capable of reducing Nina’s confidence to ash with a single raised brow.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
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.
