1
as in absurd
conceived or made without regard for reason or reality
a nonsensical decision that didn't take account of all of the facts
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in silly
showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment
your plan to lose weight through total starvation is completely nonsensical
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nonsensical
She had been blamed for breaking up the greatest band of all time; her art was pretentious and nonsensical; her music was unlistenable.
—
Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 21 Feb. 2026
Wuthering Heights simultaneously puts too much malevolence on Nelly’s shoulders while also making her final decisions sort of nonsensical, even ambiguous.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 13 Feb. 2026
This directive as a whole is nonsensical.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2026
The possibility seemed nonsensical.
—Cj Moore, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
McAdams, who did yeoman’s work in Raimi’s previous movie (the aforementioned Marvel sequel), is the perfect fit for this kind of nonsensical Hollywood role.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2026
As nonsensical as this question may seem, attempts to answer it are already offering new and surprising lessons about the quantum world.
—Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 27 Jan. 2026
The chastened agency now talks of a nonsensical $11 billion rail line from San Ysidro to Hillcrest.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
With a sprinkle of '80s nonsensical wit, Splash is an easy-breezy watch that finds its place in the sun by being ridiculously campy while grounding itself in earnestness, thanks to Hanks and Hannah's bewitching lead performances.
—James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Jan. 2026
Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 21 Feb. 2026
Wuthering Heights simultaneously puts too much malevolence on Nelly’s shoulders while also making her final decisions sort of nonsensical, even ambiguous.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 13 Feb. 2026
This directive as a whole is nonsensical.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2026
The possibility seemed nonsensical.
—Cj Moore, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
McAdams, who did yeoman’s work in Raimi’s previous movie (the aforementioned Marvel sequel), is the perfect fit for this kind of nonsensical Hollywood role.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2026
As nonsensical as this question may seem, attempts to answer it are already offering new and surprising lessons about the quantum world.
—Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 27 Jan. 2026
The chastened agency now talks of a nonsensical $11 billion rail line from San Ysidro to Hillcrest.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
With a sprinkle of '80s nonsensical wit, Splash is an easy-breezy watch that finds its place in the sun by being ridiculously campy while grounding itself in earnestness, thanks to Hanks and Hannah's bewitching lead performances.
—James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonsensical
Adjective
-
As a result, the price of gold is now approaching $5,300 an ounce, a level that would have seemed absurd even to seasoned commodities traders just a few years ago.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Luke and Mike Bell, the father-and-son team from South Africa already famous for pushing electric quadcopters to velocities that seemed positively absurd, appear to be building for both.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Every detail of Canadian/American (and the slash here is intentionally indicating a romantic relationship versus a friend or co-worker vibe) civics was sillier than the last.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Nothing is too silly or simple.—
Popular Science Team,
Popular Science,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The band performed the song, sans Pat Smear who is recovering from a bizarre gardening accident that led to a broken foot, on The Graham Norton Show on Friday.—
Althea Legaspi,
Rolling Stone,
22 Feb. 2026
-
All three runners had reached base, and all were tagged out on one bizarre play.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
And to be perfectly fair, nervous gratuitous laughter at stupid jokes is not unknown among anyone, including the press corps.—
John Shipley,
Twin Cities,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Above all else, avoid the stupid mistakes that lead to injury, illness, and evacuation from the game.—
Kristen Geil,
Outside,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Although his fortunes have faltered, counting Trump out would be foolish.—
Jonathan Lemire,
The Atlantic,
24 Feb. 2026
-
But counting on two players with hamstring issues to rescue the defense seems more foolish than strategic.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Chastain’s career has been pretty insane, too.—
Greg Riddle,
Dallas Morning News,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Canada is an insane team out there,’’ said Quinn Hughes.—
Pierre LeBrun,
New York Times,
22 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But the characters are expressive, and the medium is used to unreal ends, which is, after all, what cartoons are good for.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
-
There’s a somewhat dreamy or vaguely unreal quality to this place so far from what one typically thinks of as civilization.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
His passions outside of covering baseball are his wife, Gina, his two step kids, two crazy dogs & barbecue.—
Evan Grant,
Dallas Morning News,
23 Feb. 2026
-
These big media projects, on the other hand, are usually like some big, crazy idea that comes together.—
Outside,
Outside,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nonsensical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonsensical. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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