nonsensical
Americanadjective
-
(of words or language) having little or no meaning; making little or no sense.
A baby's babbling is appealingly nonsensical.
-
(of behavior, conduct, actions, etc.) foolish, senseless, fatuous, or absurd.
His nonsensical behavior was unusual for such a serious person.
-
objectionable, impudent, insubordinate.
I refuse to listen to that nonsensical gossip.
-
of trifling importance or of little or no use.
I've had more than enough of your nonsensical advice!
Other Word Forms
- nonsensicality noun
- nonsensically adverb
- nonsensicalness noun
Etymology
Origin of nonsensical
Explanation
If something has no intelligent meaning, you can describe it as nonsensical. When you're really angry, you might hear yourself sputtering nonsensical sounds and have to stop, take a breath, and start again. Lewis Carroll's poem "Jabberwocky" is full of great examples of nonsensical words, like "mimsy," "frumious," and "slithy," which manage to be both descriptive and completely nonsensical. Something that is utterly ridiculous or absurd can also be described as nonsensical. You might tell your best friend, "I know you like crazy hats, but that thing on your head is completely nonsensical."
Vocabulary lists containing nonsensical
100 SAT Words Beginning with "N"
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Prisoner B-3087
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Paper Towns
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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 tools returned AI flags regardless of input -- even for nonsensical text.
From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026
“When the IRS wrote the rules back in 1988, they obviously could not have anticipated the nonsensical situation with cryptocurrency, a publicly traded asset that nonetheless is not necessarily a ‘security.’
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026
The language of manifesting your dreams into reality might sound nonsensical or contrived, but to JOP, his magical thinking became his saving grace.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 8, 2026
So to pull the rug from under him, having made signings on the manager's recommendation, would seem nonsensical.
From BBC • Jan. 6, 2026
The words were so nonsensical Aimee thought it must be some movie business tradition.
From "Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story" by Nora Raleigh Baskin
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.
