absurdity

noun

ab·​sur·​di·​ty əb-ˈsər-də-tē  -ˈzər- 

plural absurdities

1

: the quality or state of being absurd : absurdness

They laughed at the absurdity of the situation.

2

: something that is absurd

the absurdities of life

Synonyms

• asininity
• bêtise
• fatuity
• folly
• foolery
• foppery
• idiocy
• imbecility
• inanity
• insanity
• lunacy
• stupidity

Examples of absurdity in a Sentence

to say men can't cook as well as women is of course an absurdity

the absurdity of expecting a 98-year-old woman to adequately supervise four six-year-olds

Recent Examples on the Web

Mika Rottenberg’s work explores the pure absurdities of our current world. —Nargess Banks, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025

These over-the-top moments and the absurdity of its title may be the elements that made Zombi 2 famous, but beneath them is a movie with an eerie, uncanny vibe that's shockingly easy to get lost in. —James Grebey, Time, 20 June 2025

The special may have felt like a punctuation mark on the season, but there were still eight more episodes and a barrage of absurdities to lampoon courtesy of the new administration. —Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 16 June 2025

Read: The sincerity and absurdity of Hollywood’s best action franchise Where De Palma and Woo focused on visual panache, Abrams and Bird stretched the limits of tone—and in doing so, revealed the adaptability of the franchise. —Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 31 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English absurditee "dissonance, unjust practice," borrowed from Middle French or Late Latin; Middle French absurdité, borrowed from Late Latin absurditāt-, absurditās, from Latin absurdus absurd entry 1 + -itāt-, -itās -ity

First Known Use

circa 1525, in the meaning defined at sense 2