absurd

1 of 2

adjective

ab·surd əb-ˈsərd How to pronounce absurd (audio)

-ˈzərd

: ridiculously unreasonable, unsound, or incongruous

an absurd argument

: extremely silly or ridiculous

absurd humor

: having no rational or orderly relationship to human life : meaningless

an absurd universe

also : lacking order or value

an absurd existence

: dealing with the absurd (see absurd entry 2) or with absurdism

absurd theater

absurdly adverb

absurdness noun

absurd

2 of 2

noun

: the state or condition in which human beings exist in an irrational and meaningless universe and in which human life has no ultimate meaning

—usually used with the

the theater of the absurd

Did you know?

Making Sense of Absurd

Absurd contains the rarer related adjective surd, which, like absurd, derives from the Latin surdus ("deaf, silent, stupid").

Surd can mean "lacking sense or irrational," much like absurd:

While the grandparents might scratch their heads at the Star Wars references, the actors and perhaps some younger parents likely delighted in manic, jumbled and surd structure of the play.
–Patrick Clement, Kiowa County Signal (Greensburg, Kansas), 23 Jan. 2013

Absurd stresses a lack of logical sense or harmonious agreement, of parts (such as a premise and a conclusion) not fitting together. In philosophy, it describes the problem of trying to distill meaning from one's experiences. In A Discourse on Novelty and Creation (1975), Carl R. Hausman writes, "There is an incongruity, an inconsistency, a conflict with a context that appears as lawful, orderly experience. As [Albert] Camus points out, absurdity 'springs from a comparison,' a comparison between two aspects of reality which seem to be out of harmony."

Example Sentences

Adjective In an era when federal judges issue rulings that in their impact often rival the lawmaking of any legislature in the land, it is increasingly absurd that their proceedings should remain off-limits to the same wider public scrutiny that news cameras have brought to courts in 48 states.

Editor & Publisher, 14 July 2003 By the time Showalter was fired one day after the end of last season, the stories of how he carried his attention to detail to absurd lengths—including his insistence that the A on the players' socks be completely visible—had been well circulated.

Phil Taylor, Sports Illustrated, 30 July 2001 This criticism, patently absurd to anyone who has read even a handful of Updike's more than 40 books, nevertheless has been made so often that it is worth Pritchard's long rebuttal.

Jonathan Wilson, New York Times Book Review, 24 Sept. 2000 Yet from time to time, virtually every parent falls back on threats, often absurd ones that leave Mom and Dad feeling foolish and the problem unresolved.

Dorothy Foltz-Gray, Parenting, December/January 1996 The charges against him are obviously absurd. absurd claims of having been abducted by UFO's See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The setup of Bad Sisters is deliberately absurd, a throwback to sillier shows such as Desperate Housewives and Why Women Kill.

Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 1 Sep. 2022 But subordinating art to political imperatives, as Rivera did, is equally absurd and leads directly to kitsch.

Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 25 Aug. 2022 Their connection overwhelmed pretty much everything else in the show and to end with it unrealized was just absurd.

Paul Tassi, Forbes, 15 Aug. 2022 This questions’ description of January 6th as a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol is patently absurd.

Anchorage Daily News, 5 Aug. 2022 Awarding $20,000 in forgiveness for any Pell Grant recipient who started and maintained a business in a disadvantaged community for three years seems even more absurd in retrospect.

Julian Epp, The New Republic, 30 Aug. 2022 The questions of whether and how to relieve them are subject to deliberation and scrutiny that would seem absurd under any other circumstances.

Stephanie H. Murray, The Atlantic, 12 Aug. 2022 A decade ago, the notion that a giant asset manager’s leader would make an environmental issue his primary talking point might have seemed absurd.

Jim O'leary, Forbes, 24 June 2022 After the loss of thirty-one more American lives to two separate shooters armed with AR-15-style rifles, both of whom had just turned eighteen, the refusal to raise the age requirement for semi-automatic rifles seems particularly absurd.

John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 13 June 2022 See More

Kids Definition

absurd

adjective

ab·surd əb-ˈsərd How to pronounce absurd (audio)

-ˈzərd

: completely foolish, unreasonable, or untrue : ridiculous

His claims are absurd.

absurd

adjective

as in bizarre

conceived or made without regard for reason or reality absurd claims of having been abducted by UFO's

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

bizarre
foolish
insane
unreal
crazy
ridiculous
preposterous
nonsensical
fantastical
strange
fanciful
fantastic
grotesque
incredible
wild
weird
odd
curious
peculiar
funny
implausible
unbelievable
inconceivable
ludicrous
unthinkable
unimaginable
laughable
extravagant
off the wall
outlandish
eccentric
farcical
surreal
outré
wacky
quirky
screwy
bizarro
quaint
kooky
whacky
nightmarish
kinky
queer
dreamlike
kookie
far-out
way-out
queerish
Alice-in-Wonderland
Kafkaesque
out-of-the-way

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

reasonable
realistic

as in silly

showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment an absurd rule that bicycles are not allowed in the park

Synonyms & Similar Words

silly
stupid
foolish
crazy
insane
mad
idiotic
ridiculous
irrational
lunatic
preposterous
asinine
nonsensical
fatuous
simple
unreasonable
dumb
zany
fool
daft
unwise
wacky
loony
idiotical
screwball
nutty
kooky
senseless
weak
inept
daffy
simpleminded
harebrained
witless
whacky
dippy
dotty
ludicrous
moronic
looney
tomfool
slow
sappy
crackpot
illogical
brainless
jerky
unreasoning
cuckoo
laughable
cockeyed
half-baked
balmy
farcical
obtuse
kookie
lunkheaded
imbecile
thoughtless
bubbleheaded
fallacious
vacuous
unreasoned
featherheaded
half-witted
clueless
weak-minded
out to lunch
unintelligent
invalid
dopey
doltish
lamebrain
dense
dull
feebleminded
opaque
dunderheaded
dim
mindless
dorky
thickheaded
surd
oafish
unsound
imbecilic
pinheaded
softheaded
airheaded
thick
soft
clownish
nonrational
gormless
lamebrained
knuckleheaded
chuckleheaded
dim-witted
notional
buffoonish
empty-headed
brain-dead
dopy
birdbrained
unconsidered
chowderheaded
boobish
slow-witted
ill-advised

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

sensible
wise
sound
prudent
sane
reasonable
sagacious
clever
judicious
logical
intelligent
valid
rational
smart
bright
sage
sapient
brainy
well-advised

as in ridiculous

so foolish or pointless as to be worthy of scornful laughter it's absurd to expect to make a killing in the stock market overnight

Synonyms & Similar Words

ridiculous
silly
pathetic
ludicrous
foolish
stupid
comical
unreasonable
laughable
preposterous
farcical
irrational
incredible
risible
dumb
insane
derisive
crazy
fantastical
derisory
idiotic
fantastic
asinine
inane
nonsensical
cockamamie
moronic
cockamamy
fatuous
mad
unreal
unwise
unbelievable
imbecile
inconceivable
illogical
daft
unrealistic
lunatic
for the birds
wacky
simpleminded
witless
harebrained
loony
screwball
nutty
imbecilic
kooky
brainless
daffy
jerky
whacky
idiotical
senseless
dotty
far-fetched
cuckoo
half-baked
looney
kookie
cockeyed
half-witted
weak-minded
balmy

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

serious
reasonable
solemn
logical
earnest
realistic
conceivable
rational
sensible
credible
believable

单词	absurd
释义	absurd 1 of 2 adjective ab·surd əb-ˈsərd -ˈzərd 1 : ridiculously unreasonable, unsound, or incongruous an absurd argument : extremely silly or ridiculous absurd humor 2 : having no rational or orderly relationship to human life : meaningless an absurd universe also : lacking order or value an absurd existence 3 : dealing with the absurd (see absurd entry 2) or with absurdism absurd theater absurdly adverb absurdness noun absurd 2 of 2 noun : the state or condition in which human beings exist in an irrational and meaningless universe and in which human life has no ultimate meaning —usually used with the the theater of the absurd Did you know? Making Sense of Absurd Absurd contains the rarer related adjective surd, which, like absurd, derives from the Latin surdus ("deaf, silent, stupid"). Surd can mean "lacking sense or irrational," much like absurd: While the grandparents might scratch their heads at the Star Wars references, the actors and perhaps some younger parents likely delighted in manic, jumbled and surd structure of the play. –Patrick Clement, Kiowa County Signal (Greensburg, Kansas), 23 Jan. 2013 Absurd stresses a lack of logical sense or harmonious agreement, of parts (such as a premise and a conclusion) not fitting together. In philosophy, it describes the problem of trying to distill meaning from one's experiences. In A Discourse on Novelty and Creation (1975), Carl R. Hausman writes, "There is an incongruity, an inconsistency, a conflict with a context that appears as lawful, orderly experience. As [Albert] Camus points out, absurdity 'springs from a comparison,' a comparison between two aspects of reality which seem to be out of harmony." Synonyms Adjective bizarre crazy fanciful fantastic fantastical foolish insane nonsensical preposterous unreal wild See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Adjective In an era when federal judges issue rulings that in their impact often rival the lawmaking of any legislature in the land, it is increasingly absurd that their proceedings should remain off-limits to the same wider public scrutiny that news cameras have brought to courts in 48 states. Editor & Publisher, 14 July 2003 By the time Showalter was fired one day after the end of last season, the stories of how he carried his attention to detail to absurd lengths—including his insistence that the A on the players' socks be completely visible—had been well circulated. Phil Taylor, Sports Illustrated, 30 July 2001 This criticism, patently absurd to anyone who has read even a handful of Updike's more than 40 books, nevertheless has been made so often that it is worth Pritchard's long rebuttal. Jonathan Wilson, New York Times Book Review, 24 Sept. 2000 Yet from time to time, virtually every parent falls back on threats, often absurd ones that leave Mom and Dad feeling foolish and the problem unresolved. Dorothy Foltz-Gray, Parenting, December/January 1996 The charges against him are obviously absurd. absurd claims of having been abducted by UFO's See More Recent Examples on the Web Adjective The setup of Bad Sisters is deliberately absurd, a throwback to sillier shows such as Desperate Housewives and Why Women Kill. Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 1 Sep. 2022 But subordinating art to political imperatives, as Rivera did, is equally absurd and leads directly to kitsch. Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 25 Aug. 2022 Their connection overwhelmed pretty much everything else in the show and to end with it unrealized was just absurd. Paul Tassi, Forbes, 15 Aug. 2022 This questions’ description of January 6th as a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol is patently absurd. Anchorage Daily News, 5 Aug. 2022 Awarding $20,000 in forgiveness for any Pell Grant recipient who started and maintained a business in a disadvantaged community for three years seems even more absurd in retrospect. Julian Epp, The New Republic, 30 Aug. 2022 The questions of whether and how to relieve them are subject to deliberation and scrutiny that would seem absurd under any other circumstances. Stephanie H. Murray, The Atlantic, 12 Aug. 2022 A decade ago, the notion that a giant asset manager’s leader would make an environmental issue his primary talking point might have seemed absurd. Jim O'leary, Forbes, 24 June 2022 After the loss of thirty-one more American lives to two separate shooters armed with AR-15-style rifles, both of whom had just turned eighteen, the refusal to raise the age requirement for semi-automatic rifles seems particularly absurd. John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 13 June 2022 See More Word History Etymology Adjective borrowed from Middle French absurde, going back to Old French absorde, borrowed from Latin absurdus "out of tune, uncouth, inappropriate, ridiculous," from ab- ab- + surdus "unhearing, deaf, muffled, dull" — more at surd entry 1 Noun borrowed from French (l')absurde, derivative of absurde absurd entry 1 First Known Use Adjective 1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Noun 1946, in the meaning defined above Phrases Containing absurd theater of the absurd the absurd theater of the absurd the absurd Kids Definition absurd adjective ab·surd əb-ˈsərd -ˈzərd : completely foolish, unreasonable, or untrue : ridiculous His claims are absurd. Choose the Right Synonym for absurd absurd, foolish, and silly mean not showing good sense. absurd is used when something is not in keeping with common sense, good reasoning, or accepted ideas. The notion that horses can talk is absurd. foolish is used when something is not thought of by others as wise or sensible. You would be foolish to invest your money in that. silly is used when something makes no sense and has no purpose. They had a silly argument over who ate the most. absurd adjective 1 as in bizarre conceived or made without regard for reason or reality absurd claims of having been abducted by UFO's Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance bizarre foolish insane unreal crazy ridiculous preposterous nonsensical fantastical strange fanciful fantastic grotesque incredible wild weird odd curious peculiar funny implausible unbelievable inconceivable ludicrous unthinkable unimaginable laughable extravagant off the wall outlandish eccentric farcical surreal outré wacky quirky screwy bizarro quaint kooky whacky nightmarish kinky queer dreamlike kookie far-out way-out queerish Alice-in-Wonderland Kafkaesque out-of-the-way Antonyms & Near Antonyms reasonable realistic 2 as in silly showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment an absurd rule that bicycles are not allowed in the park Synonyms & Similar Words silly stupid foolish crazy insane mad idiotic ridiculous irrational lunatic preposterous asinine nonsensical fatuous simple unreasonable dumb zany fool daft unwise wacky loony idiotical screwball nutty kooky senseless weak inept daffy simpleminded harebrained witless whacky dippy dotty ludicrous moronic looney tomfool slow sappy crackpot illogical brainless jerky unreasoning cuckoo laughable cockeyed half-baked balmy farcical obtuse kookie lunkheaded imbecile thoughtless bubbleheaded fallacious vacuous unreasoned featherheaded half-witted clueless weak-minded out to lunch unintelligent invalid dopey doltish lamebrain dense dull feebleminded opaque dunderheaded dim mindless dorky thickheaded surd oafish unsound imbecilic pinheaded softheaded airheaded thick soft clownish nonrational gormless lamebrained knuckleheaded chuckleheaded dim-witted notional buffoonish empty-headed brain-dead dopy birdbrained unconsidered chowderheaded boobish slow-witted ill-advised Antonyms & Near Antonyms sensible wise sound prudent sane reasonable sagacious clever judicious logical intelligent valid rational smart bright sage sapient brainy well-advised See More 3 as in ridiculous so foolish or pointless as to be worthy of scornful laughter it's absurd to expect to make a killing in the stock market overnight Synonyms & Similar Words ridiculous silly pathetic ludicrous foolish stupid comical unreasonable laughable preposterous farcical irrational incredible risible dumb insane derisive crazy fantastical derisory idiotic fantastic asinine inane nonsensical cockamamie moronic cockamamy fatuous mad unreal unwise unbelievable imbecile inconceivable illogical daft unrealistic lunatic for the birds wacky simpleminded witless harebrained loony screwball nutty imbecilic kooky brainless daffy jerky whacky idiotical senseless dotty far-fetched cuckoo half-baked looney kookie cockeyed half-witted weak-minded balmy Antonyms & Near Antonyms serious reasonable solemn logical earnest realistic conceivable rational sensible credible believable See More
随便看	tumbleweeds tumbling tumbling (to) tumbling (upon) tumbling barrel tumbling bay tumbling box tumbling mustard tumbling pigweed tumbling rod tumbling shaft tumbling to tumbling upon tumbling verse tumblings Tumboa tumbrel tumbrels tumbril tumbrils tumefaction tumefactions tumefied tumefies tumefy

absurd

adjective

noun

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Phrases Containing absurd

Kids Definition

adjective

Choose the Right Synonym for absurd

adjective