nonsense

noun

non·sense | \ ˌnän-ˌsen(t)s,

ˈnän(t)-sən(t)s\

Definition of nonsense

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : words or language having no meaning or conveying no intelligible ideas "And the mome raths outgrabe" is pure nonsense.

b(1) : language, conduct, or an idea that is absurd or contrary to good sense To regard the struggle for existence as tragic, however, is logical nonsense.— O. B. Hardison Jr.

(2) : an instance of absurd action Today's teenagers are … sharp observers of the nonsenses of adult life and society …— Bernard Trafford

2a : things of no importance or value : trifles the raincoats are classic, without any nonsense — New Yorker

b : affected or impudent conduct took no nonsense from subordinates The teacher tolerated no nonsense in her classroom.

3 : genetic information consisting of one or more codons that do not code for any amino acid and usually cause termination of the molecular chain in protein synthesis (see synthesis sense 1)

nonsense

adjective

Definition of nonsense (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : consisting of an arbitrary grouping of speech sounds or symbols \ˈshrȯg-ˌthī-əmpth\ is a nonsense word a nonsense syllable

2 : consisting of one or more codons that are genetic nonsense — compare antisense, missense

Other Words from nonsense Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about nonsense

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Other Words from nonsense

Noun

nonsensical \ ˌnän-ˈsen(t)-si-kəl

\ adjective

nonsensically \ ˌnän-ˈsen(t)-si-k(ə-)lē

\ adverb

nonsensicalness \ ˌnän-ˈsen(t)-si-kəl-nəs

\ noun

Examples of nonsense in a Sentence

Noun

I don't know why you believe that nonsense about certain numbers being unlucky. She thinks that astrology is nonsense. Don't listen to him. He's talking nonsense. He was not in the mood to put up with any nonsense from his little brother. If they start pushing each other or some such nonsense, send them to their rooms. She doesn't take any nonsense from anyone. Many of the words in the poem are nonsense. I understood so few of the words they were using that the conversation sounded like nonsense to me.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Eve is backed up, and occasionally sabotaged by her no-nonsense boss, Carolyn Martens (Fiona Shaw), and co-workers Elena (Kirby Howell-Baptiste) and Kenny (Sean Delaney). — Lauren Hubbard, Town & Country, "Killing Eve: Everything We Know So Far About Season 2," 24 Dec. 2018 Mary Poppins is one of cinema’s most timeless heroines — a no-nonsense nanny who brings her young charges on whimsical adventures while subtly helping them learn to navigate life’s difficulties. — Alissa Wilkinson, Vox, "The 9 Oscar contenders coming out in December," 3 Dec. 2018 But no-nonsense Mrs. Robinson declined Secret Service protection, did her own laundry and made regular trips to CVS and Filene’s Basement alone. — Elisabeth Egan, Glamour, "With Becoming, Michelle Obama Proves She's Just Like You, Me, and Everyone We Know," 13 Nov. 2018 And many would consider her something of a no-nonsense ballbuster. — Marshall Heyman, Harper's BAZAAR, "Helen Mirren Talks Her New 'The Nutcracker' Movie and Playing a “Cooler” Villain," 25 Oct. 2018 Cate Blanchett is appealingly brisk and no-nonsense as Mrs. Zimmerman, and her bantering, snippy, utterly platonic relationship with Jonathan Barnavelt is a rare thing in cinema, in kids’ films and adult movies alike. — Tasha Robinson, The Verge, "Films like The House With a Clock In Its Walls are poisonous to kids’ cinema," 23 Sep. 2018 France yielded only two goals on its way to the ’98 title, anchored by a defense led by Thuram and the rock-solid Marcel Desailly, and a no-nonsense midfield paced by Deschamps and Christian Karembeu. — Brian Straus, SI.com, "Le Bleuprint: France Follows Familiar World Cup Path in Reaching Final," 10 July 2018 Helen was a no-nonsense soul, with a heart of gold. — Hartford Courant, courant.com, "Helen Umberfield," 10 July 2018 The judge in charge, a firm, no-nonsense woman (Saadia Bentaieb), sits on one side of a table, faced by Antoine (Denis Ménochet) and Miriam (Léa Drucker) and their articulate, dueling attorneys. — Kenneth Turan, latimes.com, "Review: Searing French drama 'Custody' is an unforgettable experience," 10 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Stapleton’s no-nonsense half hour set the tone for the rest of the night, as a house band settled in to back solo slots from Taylor, Henley and Walsh without breaks. — Michael Rietmulder, The Seattle Times, "Review: Joe Walsh’s VetsAid was a familial star-powered party at Tacoma Dome, raising $1.2 million," 12 Nov. 2018 Nac Un Ēd Ganību dambis 30 For traditional, no-nonsense Latvian fare, video and installation artist Katrīna Neiburga suggests Nac Un Ēd. — Laura Bannister, Vogue, "Where to Go in Riga, Latvia, the New Arts Hub of the Baltic," 17 June 2018 Union stars as Shaun, a no-nonsense family woman cleaning up the mess her father left behind after his sudden death. — Barbara Vandenburgh, azcentral, "Gabrielle Union kicks serious butt in violent ‘Breaking In’," 11 May 2018 Other symptoms include incoherent or nonsense speech, and behavior that is inappropriate for the situation. — Marc Siegel, National Review, "President Trump and the Dangers of Armchair Psychiatry," 11 Jan. 2018 The girls around me were singing along, just nonsense sounds, warming up their voices. — Edan Lepucki, Slate Magazine, "“Chorus”," 1 Feb. 2017 Coach Butch Jones, entering his fifth year leading the program, set the tone with his Wednesday no-nonsense press conference. — Mike Griffith, ajc, "Tennessee football podcast: Team 121 carries quiet confidence into pregame buildup," 1 Sep. 2017 Hoffman supplied nonsense answers, calling himself Cardinal Spellman and claiming his group didn’t exist. — Lorraine Boissoneault, Smithsonian, "How the New York Stock Exchange Gave Abbie Hoffman His Start in Guerrilla Theater," 24 Aug. 2017 But that didn't stop members of Congress from opining on the definition of the most popular nonsense word of Trump's presidency. — Cleve R. Wootson Jr., Washington Post, "Trump tweets ‘covfefe,’ inspiring a semi-comedic act of Congress," 31 May 2017

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

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Last Updated

5 Jan 2019

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Time Traveler for nonsense

The first known use of nonsense was in 1612

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More Definitions for nonsense

nonsense

noun

English Language Learners Definition of nonsense

: words or ideas that are foolish or untrue

: behavior that is silly, annoying, or unkind

: language that has no meaning

See the full definition for nonsense in the English Language Learners Dictionary

nonsense

noun

non·sense | \ ˈnän-ˌsens,

-səns\

Kids Definition of nonsense

: foolish or meaningless words, ideas, or actions Don't believe such nonsense.

nonsense

noun

non·sense | \ ˈnän-ˌsen(t)s, ˈnän(t)-sən(t)s

Medical Definition of nonsense

(Entry 1 of 2)

: genetic information consisting of one or more codons that do not code for any amino acid and usually cause termination of the molecular chain in protein synthesis — compare antisense, missense