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absurd

adj. · n.
US //əbˈsɝd// UK //ɐbsˈɜːd// ab·surd
  1. 1 ridiculous or silly (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    completely silly or unreasonable in a way that is often funny.

    utterly illogical, unreasonable, or incongruous; often used to describe situations or claims that provoke ridicule.

    Example

    It is absurd to suggest that a cat could drive a car.

    Example

    The notion that the company could double its profits while cutting its entire marketing budget was dismissed as patently absurd by the board.
  2. 2 meaningless (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Academic

    having no clear meaning or purpose in life.

    pertaining to the belief that the universe is chaotic and lacks an inherent meaning or rational order.

    Example

    In the play, the characters wait for a man who never arrives, showing how absurd life can feel.

    Example

    Existentialist writers often explored the absurd nature of human effort in a world that offers no divine guidance or objective morality.
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  1. 3 the lack of meaning (n.)
    C1 Advanced Academic Formal Philosophy

    the idea that humans want to find meaning in a world that has none.

    the philosophical concept of the conflict between the human tendency to seek inherent value and the inability to find any in a purposeless universe.

    Example

    The philosopher wrote about the struggle of facing the absurd every day.

    Example

    Camus argued that individuals must acknowledge the absurd rather than seeking false certainties in religion or science.

    Usage

    Usually preceded by the definite article 'the'.
Origin

First attested in 1557. From Middle French absurde, from Latin absurdus (“incongruous, dissonant, out of tune”), from ab (“away from, out”) + surdus (“silent, deaf, dull-sounding”). Compare surd.

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