nonsensical
Americanadjective
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(of words or language) having little or no meaning; making little or no sense.
A baby's babbling is appealingly nonsensical.
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(of behavior, conduct, actions, etc.) foolish, senseless, fatuous, or absurd.
His nonsensical behavior was unusual for such a serious person.
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objectionable, impudent, insubordinate.
I refuse to listen to that nonsensical gossip.
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of trifling importance or of little or no use.
I've had more than enough of your nonsensical advice!
Other Word Forms
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 language used to describe snack tins is so flowery — and muddled by hyper-wellness jargon — it’s almost nonsensical.
From Salon • May 17, 2026
Ionesco’s brand of absurdism is indebted to classic French farce, which is redeployed in lunatic fashion to lampoon the nonsensical nature of human existence.
From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026
The tools returned AI flags regardless of input -- even for nonsensical text.
From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026
If you have fingers of fury, you might have experienced more nonsensical word salads lately.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026
I read over the email and giggled at the nonsensical paragraph of letters and numbers and symbols at the end, courtesy of Fig’s rump.
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
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.
