as in unreasonable
not using or following good reasoning
it's irrational to think that you can continue to consume an excess of calories and not gain weight
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Recent Examples of irrational
Marking 50 years since Jaws terrified moviegoers, the Academy Museum showcases props, behind-the-scenes footage, and explores how the film created an irrational fear of sharks worldwide.
—
R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Maura’s performance makes Maria Angeles so magnetic and eccentric — earthily practical on some matters, dizzily irrational on others, and sympathetically true to herself on all fronts — that all the film’s other players want for detail and texture by comparison.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 4 Sep. 2025
The roll call of people across the decades who have had access to nuclear weapons includes many who are considerably less rational than the irrational rest of us.
—Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2025
Dismissing believers as irrational or fringe only strengthens their bonds and validates their sense of persecution.
—Thomas Westerholm, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for irrational
R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Maura’s performance makes Maria Angeles so magnetic and eccentric — earthily practical on some matters, dizzily irrational on others, and sympathetically true to herself on all fronts — that all the film’s other players want for detail and texture by comparison.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 4 Sep. 2025
The roll call of people across the decades who have had access to nuclear weapons includes many who are considerably less rational than the irrational rest of us.
—Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2025
Dismissing believers as irrational or fringe only strengthens their bonds and validates their sense of persecution.
—Thomas Westerholm, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for irrational
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irrational
Adjective
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The influencer, who was in her 20s and had garnered over 300,000 followers on TikTok, allegedly wanted to cut ties with Choi due to his coercive instructions and unreasonable scheduling, according to the reports.—
Latoya Gayle,
PEOPLE,
6 Oct. 2025
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As Philadelphia gears up for hopefully a return to the playoffs in 2025-26 (although title expectations would be probably an unreasonable expectation now), the team is not being particularly precious with its previous rotational thoughts.—
Alex Kirschenbaum,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Let sound political prescience but take the place of an unreasoning prejudice, and this will be done.—
Frederick Douglass,
The Atlantic,
16 Aug. 2017
Adjective
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Also endangering the family name and business is a crooked deal made by Byron Hedges (Jack Gleeson), an illegitimate cousin helping Guinness expand into America, that promises 15% of all American profits to the Fenian Brotherhood.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
27 Sep. 2025
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The play’s serious depiction of class politics and illegitimate birth were considered shocking by contemporary audiences.—
Emily Zarevich,
JSTOR Daily,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Irrational.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irrational. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.
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