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
Often, these unjustifiable fears arise simply because people draw irrational conclusions from rational concerns.
—
Jody Mamone, Hartford Courant, 2 Jan. 2026
Sometimes, rational decisions made in isolation lead to irrational outcomes for everyone involved.
—James L. Whiteside, STAT, 2 Jan. 2026
Marcus says that Venus got his feelings hurt with the text and then his emotions came to light, like that is some kind of irrational or insane response.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2025
When LLMs were given the freedom to determine their own target amounts and betting sizes, bankruptcy rates rose substantially alongside instances of irrational behavior, demonstrating that greater autonomy amplifies risk-taking tendencies.
—Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for irrational
Jody Mamone, Hartford Courant, 2 Jan. 2026
Sometimes, rational decisions made in isolation lead to irrational outcomes for everyone involved.
—James L. Whiteside, STAT, 2 Jan. 2026
Marcus says that Venus got his feelings hurt with the text and then his emotions came to light, like that is some kind of irrational or insane response.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2025
When LLMs were given the freedom to determine their own target amounts and betting sizes, bankruptcy rates rose substantially alongside instances of irrational behavior, demonstrating that greater autonomy amplifies risk-taking tendencies.
—Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for irrational
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irrational
Adjective
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The issue is critical because the Fourth Amendment is supposed to protect people from invasive government actions in their homes, shielding them from unreasonable searches and seizures.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
24 Jan. 2026
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Love, in this cultural script, is supposed to feel good most of the time, and that expectation isn’t entirely unreasonable.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Bainbridge knew about secrets and unreasoning shame.—
Christopher Tayler,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
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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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International observers, however, have widely dismissed the election as illegitimate, held amid ongoing conflict and mass displacement.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
23 Jan. 2026
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The alternative is a politics in which the state survives by making dissenters illegitimate as citizens.—
Stephanie A,
The Conversation,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Irrational.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irrational. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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