absurd
adjective · noun
Simple meaning
Very silly or unreasonable.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
uhbsurdSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
əbˈsɝd
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
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.
noun
philosophyoften 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.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B2 · Upper Intermediate (estimated)
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Formality
- Technical
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: 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.
If something is 'absurd,' it's wildly unreasonable or illogical, often to the point of being funny or nonsensical. It feels more extreme than just 'silly' or 'ridiculous,' implying a complete lack of common sense or truth. Think 'laughable because it's so wrong.'
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Where you'll really hear it
Everyday Conversation
“That idea sounds absolutely absurd; it would never work.”
Opinion Piece
“The new regulations are an absurd waste of taxpayer money.”
Comedy Show
“The comedian's absurd observations had the audience roaring with laughter.”
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use absurd
- “The absurd is the essential concept and the first truth"--Albert Camus.”noun
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Word family
Words built from the same root.
A message whose content is at variance with reason.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A situation in which life seems irrational and meaningless.
Plays stressing the irrational or illogical aspects of life, usually to show that modern life is pointless.
Related words
Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.
A disproof by showing that the consequences of the proposition are absurd.
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Knowing “absurd” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.