Absurd

Definition: Absurd

Absurd

Adjective

1. Inconsistent with reason or logic or common sense; "the absurd predicament of seeming to argue that virtue is highly desirable but intensely unpleasant"- Walter Lippman.

2. Completely devoid of wisdom or good sense; "the absurd excuse that the dog ate his homework"; "ask a nonsensical question and get a nonsensical answer"; "a contribution so small as to be laughable"; "it is ludicrous to call a cottage a mansion"; "a preposterous attempt to turn back the pages of history"; "her conceited assumption of universal interest in her rather dull children was ridiculous".

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "absurd" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1350. (references)

Literature

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Synonyms: Absurd

Absurdity

Adjective: absurd, nonsensical, preposterous, egregious, senseless, inconsistent, ridiculous, extravagant, quibbling; self-annulling, self-contradictory; macaronic, punning.

Imbecility Folly

Foolish, unwise, injudicious, improper, unreasonable, without reason, ridiculous, absurd, idiotic, silly, stupid, asinine; ill-imagined, ill-advised, ill-judged, ill-devised; mal entendu; inconsistent, irrational, unphilosophical; extravagant; (nonsensical); sleeveless, idle; pointless, useless; inexpedient; frivolous; (trivial).

Impossibility

Adjective: impossible; not possible; absurd, contrary to reason; unlikely; unreasonable; incredible; beyond the bounds of reason, beyond the bounds of possibility, beyond the realm of possibility; from which reason recoils; visionary; inconceivable; (improbable); prodigious; (wonderful); unimaginable, inimaginable; unthinkable.

Untruth

Invention, fabrication, fiction; fable, nursery tale; romance; (imagination); absurd story, untrue story, false story, trumped up story, trumped up statement; thing devised by the enemy; canard; shave, sell, hum, traveler;s tale, Canterbury tale, fairy tale, fake; claptrap.

Crosswords: Absurd

Afrikaan (absurd), Albanian (absurd, absurdly, farcical, ludicrous, nonsensical, object, preposterous), Danish (absurd), Dutch (absurd), Frisian (absurd), German (absurd, absurdly, fantastic, idiotically, preposterous), Hawaiian (absurd), Romanian (absurd, absurdity, absurdly, Dotty, fabulous, foolish, impossible, inept, irrational, ludicrous, mad, mindless, nonsensical, piffling, preposterous, recondite, ridiculous, silly, stupid, temerarious, unreasonable), Swedish (absurd, fantastic, fantastical, incongruous).

Men, the most absurd of God's creatures (Batman & Robin; writing credit: Akiva Goldsman)

Don't you realise how absurd your position is (Tomorrow Never Dies; writing credit: Bruce Feirstein)

What an absurd thing for you to say. (The Thin Blue Line; writing credit: Ben Elton)

' Absurd! There is nothing wrong with the body of Poirot (Poirot; writing credit: Clive Exton; Anthony Horowitz)

Oh, I know it seems absurd when we've known each other such a short time (The Mummy; writing credit: Nina Wilcox Putnam; Richard Schayer)

Now don't it sound absurd (Saturday (Oooh! Oooh!); performing artist: Ludacris)

Never heard, how absurd, how could it be (NAUGHTY GIRLS; performing artist: Samantha Fox)

I know it sounds absurd (The Logical Song; performing artist: Supertramp)

Absurd (1989)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Books

• L.A. Bizarro: : The Insiders Guide to the Obscure, the Absurd and the Perverse in Los Angeles (reference)

• Lost in Place: Growing Up Absurd in Suburbia (reference)

• The Man With the Black Coat: Russia's Literature of the Absurd (European Classics) (reference)

• The Theatre of the Absurd (Penguin Literary Criticism) (reference)

• Totally Absurd Inventions (reference)

  (more book examples)

Music

• Absurd Ditties (reference)

• Descend Into the Absurd (reference)

• Eternal Fall - Resurrection Absurd (reference)

  (more classical music examples; more popular music examples)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

She opened her door to that absurd little Monsieur Beaup, and took her letter and her packages from him. Credit: Library of Congress.

Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

If the former part of the alternative be true, then a legislative act contrary to the constitution is not law: if the latter part be true, then written constitutions are absurd attempts, on the part of the people, to limit a power in its own nature illimitable. (reference)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

He examined that joy with a sort of anger, and thought it absurd.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Travel

Cote D'ivoire

The most popular frauds involve money from a deposed political leader, smuggled diamonds, an unclaimed debt, gold bars, or imported goods with an absurd mark-up. (references)

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Expressions using "absurd": absurd question ♦ theater of the absurd ♦ theatre of the absurd. Additional references.

Beginning with "absurd": absurd-cum-behaviourist, absurd-looking.

Containing "absurd": slightly-absurd-boyish-middle-aged.

Afrikaans

sinneloos. (various references)

Albanian

absurd (absurdly, farcical, ludicrous, nonsensical, object, preposterous). (various references)

Arabic 

‏مناف للعقل (preposterous), ‏لامعقول (absurdity), ‏غريب (alien, anomalous, antic, bizarre, eerie, eery, exotic, extraneous, fanciful, foreign, freakish, funny, grotesque, intruder, ludicrous, new, odd, outlandish, outsider, peculiar, potty, quaint, queer, rum, senseless, singular, strange, stranger, tall, unaccustomed, uncanny, uncouth, unearthly, unfamiliar, unnatural, whimsical), ‏سخيف (childish, daft, dotty, fatuous, foolish, inept, ridiculous, silly, spoony, tomfool). (various references)

Bulgarian 

нелеп (farcical, fatuous, inane, incongruous, inept, ludicrous, nonsensical, preposterous, ridiculous, screwy), абсурден (farcical, hot, ludicrous, monstrous, preposterous, ridiculous), безсмислен (aimless, futile, inane, insensate, inutile, meaningless, mindless, needless, nonsense, nonsensical, pointless, preposterous, purposeless, senseless, sorry, stupid, tomfool, unmeaning, vacuous, vain). (various references)

Chinese 

謬 (erroneous), �'谬 (irrationality), 妄 (fantastic). (various references)

Czech

absurdní (farcical, laughable, preposterous, senseless, tomfool), nesmyslný (mindful, nonsensical, pointless, preposterous, senseless, unreasonable), nemožný (impossible). (various references)

Danish

absurd, latterlig (ridiculous). (various references)

Dutch

onzinnig, dwaas (fool, foolish), absurd. (various references)

Esperanto

absurda, sensenca. (various references)

Faeroese

láturverdur (ridiculous). (various references)

Farsi 

یاوه (Babble, Nonsense, Tattle), پوچ (Airy, Empty, Hollow, Inane, Inoperative, Invalid, Nude, Nugatory, Sawdust, Unmeaning, Vacuous, Vain, Void), مزخرف (Baloney, Ludicrous, Nonsense, Nonsensical, Slag, Tawdry, Trashy), مضحک (Burlesque, Comic, Droll, Grotesque, Hilarious, Laughable, Ludicrous, Preposterous, Ridiculous), ناپسند (Chilish, Incommensurate, Unappealing), نامعقول (Irrational, Preposterous, Unreasonable, Untimely), عبث (Vain), بی معنی (Hokum, Inept, Insensate, Irrational, Rigmarole, Unmeaning). (various references)

Finnish

järjetön (irrational, nonsensical, senseless, unreasonable). (various references)

French

absurde, ridicule. (various references)

Frisian

absurd, healwiis (fool, lunatic). (various references)

German

absurd (absurdly, fantastic, idiotically, preposterous), widersinnig (nonsensical), lächerlich (comical, farcical, foolish, funny, idiotically, laughable, laughably, ludicrous, ludicrously, petty, piddling, preposterous, ridiculous, ridiculously, risible, trivial), albern (addled, clownish, fatuous, fatuously, foolish, footling, giggly, inane, inanely, ludicrous, ridiculous, silly, simper, simpering, simperingly, stupid). (various references)

Greek 

παράλογοσ (absonant, illogical, irrational, preposterous, reasonless, senseless, unconscionable, unreasonable), παράλογος (misguided, senseless), άτοποσ (incongruous, inept). (various references)

Hawaiian

absurd. (various references)

Hebrew 

מ�'וחך (farcical, grotesque, ludicrous, mock, preposterous, ridiculous, stupid), שאי� ו מתקבל על �"�"עת, אבסור�"י, אבסור�". (various references)

Hungarian

abszurd (cockeyed, fantastic, farcical, nonsensical, preposterous), képtelen (impassible, impossible, nonsensical, ridiculous, unable). (various references)

Icelandic

fáránlegur. (various references)

Indonesian

absur, tidak masuk akal. (various references)

Italian

assurdo (absurdity, nonsense, nonsensical, preposterous, ridiculous, senseless, ungodly), ridicolo (antic, comic, comical, laughable, ludicrous, paltry, preposterous, ridicule, ridiculous, ridiculousness, risible, silly). (various references)

Japanese Kanji 

�"方もない (extraordinary, outrageous, preposterous). (various references)

Japanese Katakana 

かたはらいたい (ridiculous), とほうもない (extraordinary, outrageous, preposterous), よしなき (meaningless, senseless), もってのほか (unreasonable), むちゃ (absurdity, excessive, nonsense, rash, unreasonable), めちゃ (excessive, ridiculous), めちゃめちゃ (excessive, rash, unreasonable), めちゃくちゃ (excessive, messed up, spoiled, unreasonable, wreaked), めっぽう (extraordinary, in chaos, incoherent, very), とてつもない (extravagant, preposterous, unbelievable, unreasonable), �"�"�"どう� �" (inexcusable, outrageous, preposterous), たわいない (childish, easy, foolish, guileless, silly, trifling), ばか�'た (foolish), ばからしい, ばかくさい, ふけ�"しき (betraying one's lack of judgment, compromising, disgraceful, indiscreet, lacking in common sense, rashness, thoughtless, undignified), ふ�"うり (inconsistent, irrational, unreasonable), べらぼう (awful, unreasonable), お�"がましい (impertinent, presumptuous, ridiculous), すさまじい (amazing, awful, dreadful, fierce, terrible, terrific, tremendous), めっそう (extravagant). (various references)

Korean 

황당한. (various references)

Manx

ommidjagh (brainless, crackpot, fatuous, foolish, idiotic, imbecile, madcap, nonsensical, scatter-brained, silly), meecheeayllagh (half-witted, idiot, imbecile, mad, nonsensical, silly, simple, unadvised), gyn cheeayll (misguided). (various references)

Papiamen

apsurdo, ridíkulo (ridiculous). (various references)

Pig Latin

absurday.(various references)

Polish

śmieszny (ridiculous). (various references)

Portuguese

absurdo (absurdity, bloodcurdling, foolish, ill-placed, impertinent, incongruous, inept, irrational, ludicrous, monstrous, nonsense, nonsensical, preposterous, ragtime, ridiculous, rubbish, unreason), disparatado (blundering, crack-brained, crazy, foolish, hard-hearted, inept, insensate, irrational, kill-time, nonsensical, preposterous, screwy, senseless). (various references)

Romanian

absurd (absurdity, absurdly, Dotty, fabulous, foolish, impossible, inept, irrational, ludicrous, mad, mindless, nonsensical, piffling, preposterous, recondite, ridiculous, silly, stupid, temerarious, unreasonable), lipsit de sens, iraţional (absurdly, irrational, unreasonable), imposibil (extravagant, impossible, insolubly, it's no go, never, not really, out of the question, unbearable, unearthly, unfeasible), ilogic (illogical, preposterous), himeric (chimeric, chimerical, fantastic, fantastical, vaporous, wildcat). (various references)

Russian 

нелепый (grotesque, ludicrous, nonsensical, preposterous, ragtime, ridicule, ridiculous, ungodly), абсурдный (grotesque, preposterous), абсурд нелепый. (various references)

Serbo-Croatian

apsurdan (preposterous), besmislen (nonsensical, pointless, preposterous, unmeaning). (various references)

Spanish

absurdo (absurdity, absurdness, absurdum, blah, blether, farce, farcical, incongruous, irrational, nonsensical, preposterous, ridiculous, screwy, silly, wacky), ridículo (farcical, ludicrous, ridicule, ridiculous, silly). (various references)

Swedish

orimlig (exorbitant, extortionate, extravagant, fantastic, fantastical, incongruous, irrational, ludicrous, preposterous, senseless, unconscionable, unreasonable), löjlig (derisive, derisory, foolish, funny, laughable, ludicrous, ridiculous), absurd (fantastic, fantastical, incongruous). (various references)

Turkish

saçma (applesauce, balls, baloney, blind, boloney, bunk, bunkum, chimerical, claptrap, cockeyed, dissemination, eradiation, fantastic, fantastical, farcical, fatuous, fiddle, fiddle-de-dee, fiddlesticks, foolish, for the birds, froth, frothy, fudge, go on, hog-wash, hooey, impertinent, inane, incongruous, inept, irrational, jabber wocky, kibosh, laugh, malarkey, nonsense, nonsensical, outlandish, paltry, pointless, poppycock, raving, rhubarb, rot, scattering, senseless, shot, shucks, skittles, small shot, smearcase, sorry, spinach, stuff, tommyrot, tosh, trash, trifling, tripe, trivial, trumpery, unreasonable, wacky, waffle, whacky), abes (abortive, fruitless, futile, meaningless, nonsense, nugatory, trivial, unfit, unreasonable, unsuitable, useless, vain). (various references)

Turkmen 

bolgusyz (meaningless, ridiculous). (various references)

Ukrainian

сміховинний (derisive, derisory, farcical, ridiculous, screaming, splitting), нісенітний (nonsensical, rubbishy), абсурдний (grotesque, inept, nonsensical), безглуздий (addle-brained, addle-pated, barmy, blind, brainless, brute, crack-brained, crazy, foolish, idiotic, idiotical, impertinent, insane, ludicrous, meaningless, nail biting, nonsensical, pointless, preposterous, senseless, wanton, wet). (various references)

Vietnamese 

vô lý ngu xuẩn, ngớ ngẩn; bu�"n cười, lố bịch (comical, grotesque, ludicrous, preposterous, priceless, ridiculous). (various references)

Welsh

afresymol (unreasonable), gwrthun (odious, repugnant). (various references)

absurdum, futurus. (various references)

Derivations

Words beginning with "absurd": absurder, absurdest, absurdism, absurdisms, absurdist, absurdists, absurdities, absurdity, absurdly, absurdness, absurdnesses, absurds. (additional references)

Misspellings

"Absurd" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: abourd, absord, absored, Absu, absurb, absurda, absurde, absurder, absurdo, absurds, absured, abur, adsurdum, basur, Batsuur, Batsuuri, obsurd, ubsurd. (additional references)

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

-1 letter: bards, bauds, brads, buras, burds, bursa, darbs, daubs, drabs, drubs, duras.

-2 letters: arbs, bads, bard, bars, baud, brad, bras, buds, bura, burd, burs, dabs, darb, daub, drab, drub, dubs, dura, rads, rubs, sard, suba, sura, surd, urbs, urds, ursa.

-3 letters: abs, ads, arb, ars, bad, bar, bas, bra, bud, bur, bus, dab, dub.

+1 letter: absurds, bustard, daubers, durbars, sandbur, subadar, subarid.

+2 letters: absurder, absurdly, bahadurs, baudrons, bermudas, bustards, buzzards, cudbears, daubries, durables, sandburr, sandburs, subacrid, subadars, subahdar, subdural, subgrade, superbad, surbased, unbraids, upbraids.

+3 letters: abductors, absurdest, absurdism, absurdist, absurdity, barleducs, breadnuts, brushland, cupboards, dauberies, drawtubes, drumbeats, husbander, husbandry, kurbashed, outboards, sandburrs, scrubland, subahdars, subdermal, subgrades, surfboard, urbanised.