absurd

ab-SURD/æbˈsɚd/UKuhb-SURD/əbˈsɜːd/

6 meanings of absurd

1
adjective
So clearly wrong or silly that it makes no sense.
Like saying the sun comes up in the west: it just makes no sense.
Her excuse for being late was completely absurd.
It seems absurd to wait in line for hours just to buy a sandwich.
Similarridiculous, foolish, ludicrous, preposterous, irrational
Oppositesensible, reasonable, rational, logical
Note
2
adjective
Having no real meaning or order, so that life feels pointless.
Like looking all day for a door in a wall that has none.
After the disaster, everything felt absurd and pointless to him.
She described the long, empty days as absurd, with no purpose at all.
Similarmeaningless, pointless, senseless, futile, purposeless
Oppositemeaningful, purposeful
Note
3
noununcountable
The clash between people wanting life to have meaning and never finding any.
Like calling out again and again into a cave that never answers.
Many thinkers have written about the absurd and how people learn to live with it.
He spent years studying the absurd in modern life.
Note
4
adjective
Belonging to the kind of plays or books that show life as having no meaning.
Our teacher said the absurd novel follows a man who can find no reason for anything he does.
The art museum showed an absurd short film about a man climbing stairs that lead nowhere.

Less common meanings

5
nounobsolete
A foolish or senseless statement or idea.
He called the whole idea an absurd and refused to discuss it further.
To the judge, the prisoner's claim was just an absurd.
Note
6
adjectiveobsolete
Sounding rough because the notes do not fit well together.
Similarinconsistent, incongruous
Note

Practice

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Origin

The word came into English in 1557 from Latin absurdus, which meant 'out of tune'. It was formed from ab ('away from') and surdus ('deaf' or 'dull-sounding').