absurd

adjective

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ab·surd | \ əb-ˈsərd

, -ˈzərd

Definition of absurd

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : ridiculously unreasonable, unsound, or incongruous an absurd argument : extremely silly or ridiculous absurd humor

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 (see absurd entry 2) or with absurdism absurd theater

absurd

noun

Definition of absurd (Entry 2 of 2)

: 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 the theater of the absurd

Other Words from absurd Synonyms & Antonyms Making Sense of Absurd More Example Sentences Phrases Containing absurd Learn More About absurd

Making Sense of Absurd

Absurd contains the rarer related adjective surd, which, like absurd, derives from the Latin surdus ("deaf, silent, stupid").

Surd can mean "lacking sense or irrational," much like absurd:

While the grandparents might scratch their heads at the Star Wars references, the actors and perhaps some younger parents likely delighted in manic, jumbled and surd structure of the play.
–Patrick Clement, Kiowa County Signal (Greensburg, Kansas), 23 Jan. 2013

Absurd stresses a lack of logical sense or harmonious agreement, of parts (such as a premise and a conclusion) not fitting together. In philosophy, it describes the problem of trying to distill meaning from one's experiences. In A Discourse on Novelty and Creation (1975), Carl R. Hausman writes, "There is an incongruity, an inconsistency, a conflict with a context that appears as lawful, orderly experience. As [Albert] Camus points out, absurdity 'springs from a comparison,' a comparison between two aspects of reality which seem to be out of harmony."

Examples of absurd in a Sentence

Adjective In an era when federal judges issue rulings that in their impact often rival the lawmaking of any legislature in the land, it is increasingly absurd that their proceedings should remain off-limits to the same wider public scrutiny that news cameras have brought to courts in 48 states. — Editor & Publisher, 14 July 2003 By the time Showalter was fired one day after the end of last season, the stories of how he carried his attention to detail to absurd lengths—including his insistence that the A on the players' socks be completely visible—had been well circulated. — Phil Taylor, Sports Illustrated, 30 July 2001 This criticism, patently absurd to anyone who has read even a handful of Updike's more than 40 books, nevertheless has been made so often that it is worth Pritchard's long rebuttal. — Jonathan Wilson, New York Times Book Review, 24 Sept. 2000 Yet from time to time, virtually every parent falls back on threats, often absurd ones that leave Mom and Dad feeling foolish and the problem unresolved. — Dorothy Foltz-Gray, Parenting, December/January 1996 The charges against him are obviously absurd. absurd claims of having been abducted by UFO's See More

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective The long wait before finishing things off came after the game took a turn toward the absurd. — New York Times, 11 May 2022 Reducing it all to the absurd, imagine if the Fed engaged in massive bond selling to Silicon Valley banks in order to drain Palo Alto of money. — John Tamny, Forbes, 24 Apr. 2022 The late comedian helped move stand-up beyond the realm of the merely observational and create space for the absurd. — Eric Farwell, The Atlantic, 13 Apr. 2022 Once the plot does kick in, the real triumph resides in the editing, slicing and dicing together glimpses of the infinite possibilities at work, and requiring the cast to embody all of them, from the sober to the absurd. — Brian Lowry, CNN, 8 Apr. 2022 That is to me the most absurd of conclusions because, of course, there would be this war. — Bryan Schott, The Salt Lake Tribune, 15 Mar. 2022 The effort to rewrite history ranges from the serious to the absurd. — Washington Post, 22 Feb. 2022 No, the comfortable would feel too obvious and the absurd would feel too contrived. — Mary Sollosi, EW.com, 3 Feb. 2022 Shark movie fans with a taste for the absurd will get a kick out of this B-movie if nothing else. — Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 29 Jan. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'absurd.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for absurd

Adjective

borrowed from Middle French absurde, going back to Old French absorde, borrowed from Latin absurdus "out of tune, uncouth, inappropriate, ridiculous," from ab- ab- + surdus "unhearing, deaf, muffled, dull" — more at surd entry 1

Noun

borrowed from French (l')absurde, derivative of absurde absurd entry 1

Learn More About absurd

Dictionary Entries Near absurd

absume

absurd

absurdism

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Last Updated

17 May 2022

Cite this Entry

“Absurd.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/absurd. Accessed 22 May. 2022.

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More Definitions for absurd

absurd

adjective

ab·surd | \ əb-ˈsərd

, -ˈzərd \

Kids Definition of absurd

: completely foolish, unreasonable, or untrue : ridiculous His claims are absurd.

Choose the Right Synonym for absurd

absurd, foolish, and silly mean not showing good sense. absurd is used when something is not in keeping with common sense, good reasoning, or accepted ideas. The notion that horses can talk is absurd. foolish is used when something is not thought of by others as wise or sensible. You would be foolish to invest your money in that. silly is used when something makes no sense and has no purpose. They had a silly argument over who ate the most.