Absurd

//əbˈsɜːd// adj, noun

adj, noun ·Common ·High school level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    An absurdity. obsolete
  2. 2
    a situation in which life seems irrational and meaningless wordnet
  3. 3
    The opposition between the human search for meaning in life and the inability to find any; the state or condition in which man exists in an irrational universe and his life has no meaning outside of his existence.
Adjective
  1. 1
    Contrary to reason or propriety; obviously and flatly opposed to manifest truth; inconsistent with the plain dictates of common sense; logically contradictory; nonsensical; ridiculous; silly.

    "This proffer is absurd and reasonless."

  2. 2
    Inharmonious; dissonant. obsolete
  3. 3
    Having no rational or orderly relationship to people's lives; meaningless; lacking order or value.

    "Adults have condemned them to live in what must seem like an absurd universe."

  4. 4
    Dealing with absurdism.
Adjective
  1. 1
    inconsistent with reason or logic or common sense wordnet
  2. 2
    so unreasonable as to invite derision wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
foolishillogicalpreposterousfoolishincongruousinconsistent

Example

More examples

"You cannot achieve the impossible without attempting the absurd."

Etymology

First attested in 1557. From Middle French absurde, from Latin absurdus (“incongruous, dissonant, out of tune”), from ab (“away from, out”) + surdus (“silent, deaf, dull-sounding”). Compare surd.

Related phrases

Theatre of the Absurdreduction to the absurd

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.