absurd
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.completely silly or unreasonable in a way that is often funny.
adj.utterly illogical, unreasonable, or incongruous; often used to describe situations or claims that provoke ridicule.
Simple“It is absurd to suggest that a cat could drive a car.”
In context“The notion that the company could double its profits while cutting its entire marketing budget was dismissed as patently absurd by the board.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
adj.having no clear meaning or purpose in life.
adj.pertaining to the belief that the universe is chaotic and lacks an inherent meaning or rational order.
Simple“In the play, the characters wait for a man who never arrives, showing how absurd life can feel.”
In context“Existentialist writers often explored the absurd nature of human effort in a world that offers no divine guidance or objective morality.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
n.the idea that humans want to find meaning in a world that has none.
n.the philosophical concept of the conflict between the human tendency to seek inherent value and the inability to find any in a purposeless universe.
Simple“The philosopher wrote about the struggle of facing the absurd every day.”
In context“Camus argued that individuals must acknowledge the absurd rather than seeking false certainties in religion or science.”
UsageUsually preceded by the definite article 'the'.
Synonyms
“It added that it was “absurd that the US appears to treat North Korea more respectfully than its ally South Korea”.”
“If the American Dream feels out of reach, and college seems like an expensive obstacle, calls to take them seriously may feel inauthentic, alienating and absurd .”
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.