Synonyms

nonsensical

American

[non-sen-si-kuhl] / nɒnˈsɛn sɪ kəl /

adjective

(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

nonsense + -ical

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 tone of the language grew harsh; the reported revelations from deceased relatives called “ludicrous,” “trifling and nonsensical,” “a farce.”

From Literature

The film exhibits no sense of how to stage a surprise, settling instead for hackish tricks like having a character nonsensically appear in, say, the middle of a deserted street as though arriving via drone.

From The Wall Street Journal

The majority of the investment in building and deploying Homes.com External link is done, so it’s sort of nonsensical to not play it out.

From Barron's

“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

In this Apple TV series, O’Hara nails the fickle, chaotic and nonsensical churn of the industry through her intense character, who is based on the former Sony Picture Entertainment head, Amy Pascal.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023