the absurd
noun
1
: a state or condition of extreme silliness or foolishness : an absurd or ridiculous state
Her ideas once seemed reasonable, but now they verge on the absurd.
2
: things that are absurd
a filmmaker who is fascinated with the absurd
Examples of the absurd in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Full Phil France’s maestro of the absurd Quentin Dupieux opened Cannes in 2024 with his film-within-a-film The Second Act.
—
Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 1 Jan. 2026
Questlove laughed from a hotel room in Boca Raton, Florida, at the absurd line of questioning that channeled the spirit of an all-too-serious high school teacher grilling a student.
—Keith Murphy, VIBE.com, 12 Dec. 2025
After Jess runs into Liz in the hospital, the absurd coincidences and conflicts of interest continue to pile up.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 11 Dec. 2025
The fairy tale works its spell through persistent naïveté, by simple defamiliarization that unmasks the institutionalized and the ordinary as the absurd.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the absurd
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 1 Jan. 2026
Questlove laughed from a hotel room in Boca Raton, Florida, at the absurd line of questioning that channeled the spirit of an all-too-serious high school teacher grilling a student.
—Keith Murphy, VIBE.com, 12 Dec. 2025
After Jess runs into Liz in the hospital, the absurd coincidences and conflicts of interest continue to pile up.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 11 Dec. 2025
The fairy tale works its spell through persistent naïveté, by simple defamiliarization that unmasks the institutionalized and the ordinary as the absurd.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the absurd
Cite this Entry
“The absurd.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20absurd. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share