Adjacent Words

Absurd definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

ABSURD', a. [L. absurdus, from ab and surdus, deaf, insensible.] Opposed to manifest truth; inconsistent with reason or the plain dictates of common sense. An absurd man acts contrary to the clear dictates of reason or sound judgement. An absurd proposition contradicts obvious truth. An absurd practice or opinion is repugnant to the reason or common apprehension of men. It is absurd to say six and six make ten, or that plants will take root in stone.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
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: incongruous;inviting ridicule; "the absurd excuse that the dog ate his homework"; "that's a cockeyed idea"; "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" [syn: absurd, cockeyed, derisory, idiotic, laughable, ludicrous, nonsensical, preposterous, ridiculous] n
1: a situation in which life seems irrational and meaningless; "The absurd is the essential concept and the first truth"-- Albert Camus [syn: absurd, the absurd]

Merriam Webster's

I. adjective Etymology: Middle French absurde, from Latin absurdus, from ab- + surdus deaf, stupid Date: 1557 1. ridiculously unreasonable, unsound, or incongruous <an absurd argument> 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 or with absurdism <absurd theater> • absurdly adverb • absurdness noun II. noun Date: 1946 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

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. 1 (of an idea, suggestion, etc.) wildly unreasonable, illogical, or inappropriate. 2 (of a person) unreasonable or ridiculous in manner. 3 (of a thing) ludicrous, incongruous (an absurd hat; the situation was becoming absurd). Derivatives: absurdly adv. absurdness n. Etymology: F absurde or L absurdus (as AB-, surdus deaf, dull)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Absurd Ab*surd", a. [L. absurdus harsh-sounding; ab + (prob) a derivative fr. a root svar to sound; not connected with surd: cf. F. absurde. See Syringe.] Contrary to reason or propriety; obviously and fiatly opposed to manifest truth; inconsistent with the plain dictates of common sense; logically contradictory; nonsensical; ridiculous; as, an absurd person, an absurd opinion; an absurd dream. This proffer is absurd and reasonless. --Shak. 'This phrase absurd to call a villain great. --Pope. --p. 9 Syn: Foolish; irrational; ridiculous; preposterous; inconsistent; incongruous. Usage: Absurd, Irrational, Foolish, Preposterous. Of these terms, irrational is the weakest, denoting that which is plainly inconsistent with the dictates of sound reason; as, an irrational course of life. Foolish rises higher, and implies either a perversion of that faculty, or an absolute weakness or fatuity of mind; as, foolish enterprises. Absurd rises still higher, denoting that which is plainly opposed to received notions of propriety and truth; as, an absurd man, project, opinion, story, argument, etc. Preposterous rises still higher, and supposes an absolute inversion in the order of things; or, in plain terms, a ``putting of the cart before the horse;'' as, a preposterous suggestion, preposterous conduct, a preposterous regulation or law.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Absurd Ab*surd" ([a^]b*s[^u]rd"), n. An absurdity. [Obs.] --Pope.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

If you say that something is absurd, you are criticizing it because you think that it is ridiculous or that it does not make sense. It is absurd to be discussing compulsory redundancy policies for teachers... I've known clients of mine go to absurd lengths, just to avoid paying me a few pounds... = ridiculous ADJ: oft it v-link ADJ to-inf/that [disapproval] • The absurd is something that is absurd. (FORMAL) Parkinson had a sharp eye for the absurd. N-SING: the N • absurdly Prices were still absurdly low, in his opinion... ADV • absurdity (absurdities) I find myself growing increasingly angry at the absurdity of the situation. N-VAR

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. Unreasonable, irrational, foolish, nonsensical, ridiculous, incongruous, senseless, unwise, silly, stupid, preposterous, ill-judged, ill-advised, contrary to reason, contrary to the dictates of common sense, self-contradictory, self-annulling, nugatory, self-cancelling.

Moby Thesaurus

Pickwickian, a bit thick, a bit thin, abnormal, amusing, anomalous, asinine, balmy, barred, beyond belief, bizarre, childish, closed-out, cockamamie, comic, contrary to reason, crazy, curious, daft, disproportionate, doubtable, doubtful, droll, dubious, dubitable, eccentric, empty, excluded, extravagant, fantastic, farcical, fatuitous, fatuous, foolish, freaked out, freaky, funny, futile, grotesque, hard of belief, hard to believe, harebrained, high-flown, hilarious, hollow, hopeless, humorous, idiotic, idle, illogical, imbecile, imbecilic, implausible, impossible, inane, incoherent, incommensurable, incommensurate, incompatible, inconceivable, incongruous, inconsequent, inconsistent, inconsonant, incredible, insane, irrational, irreconcilable, kooky, laughable, logically impossible, loony, ludicrous, mad, meaningless, monstrous, moronic, nonsensical, not deserving belief, not possible, nuts, nutty, odd, oddball, off, off the wall, open to doubt, open to suspicion, out, out of proportion, outlandish, outrageous, outre, oxymoronic, paradoxical, passing belief, passing strange, peculiar, poppycockish, potty, preposterous, priceless, problematic, prohibited, quaint, queer, questionable, quizzical, rich, ridiculous, risible, rubbishy, ruled-out, screaming, self-contradictory, senseless, silly, simple, singular, skimble-skamble, staggering belief, strange, stupid, suspect, suspicious, tall, thick, thin, trashy, twaddling, twaddly, unbelievable, unconvincing, unearthly, ungodly, unimaginable, unreasonable, unsound, unthinkable, unworthy of belief, vain, wacky, weird, whimsical, wild, witty, wondrous strange