absurd

noun

(philosophy, often preceded by the) 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.

(obsolete) An absurdity.

adjective

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.

Having no rational or orderly relationship to people's lives; meaningless; lacking order or value.

Dealing with absurdism.

(obsolete) Inharmonious; dissonant.

Roots

surdus-surd · Latin · deaf, dull

Synonyms for absurd

preposterousadj ludicrousadj ridiculousadj nonsensicaladj laughableadj idioticadj risibleadj illogicaladj cockamamieadj farcicaladj outrageousadj asinineadj unreasonableadj implausibleadj sillyn outlandishadj fatuousadj harebrainedadj inaneadj

Synonyms & related words for absurd

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of absurd — including preposterous, ludicrous, ridiculous, nonsensical, laughable, idiotic. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to absurd

Explore words related to absurd — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include laughableness, derisory, ludicrousness, preposterousness, absurdity, absurdness, absurdly, ridiculousness. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for absurd

Common synonyms for absurd include preposterous, ludicrous, ridiculous, nonsensical, laughable, idiotic, risible, illogical — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does absurd come from?

The word absurd breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root -surd, from Latin surdus (“deaf, dull”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.