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nonsense

n. · adj. · v.
US //ˈnɑnsɛns// UK //nˈɒnsəns// non·sense
  1. 1 meaningless words (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    words or ideas that have no meaning or do not make sense.

    spoken or written communication that lacks coherent meaning or logical structure.

    Example

    The toddler was just speaking nonsense that nobody could understand.

    Example

    The witness's testimony was complete nonsense, filled with internal contradictions that the lawyer quickly exposed during cross-examination.
  2. 2 foolish behaviour (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    silly or annoying behaviour that lacks a good reason.

    conduct or ideas that are considered foolish, illogical, or trivial.

    Example

    Stop this nonsense and get back to your homework immediately.

    Example

    The manager refused to put up with any more nonsense from the staff regarding the new safety protocols.
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  1. 3 literary genre (n.)
    C1 Advanced Academic Literature

    a type of poetry or stories that use strange and funny ideas that do not follow logic.

    a category of literature, particularly poetry, that balances elements of language and logic against those that defy them.

    Example

    Edward Lear is famous for writing nonsense poems like 'The Owl and the Pussy-cat'.

    Example

    Victorian nonsense literature often served as a subtle critique of the rigid social and linguistic hierarchies of the era.
    • surrealism
  2. 4 genetic mutation (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Science

    a mistake in a DNA sequence that stops a gene from working correctly.

    a genetic mutation in which a codon is changed to a stop codon, resulting in a truncated and usually non-functional protein.

    Example

    A nonsense mutation in the gene caused the protein to be too short.

    Example

    The researchers identified a nonsense mutation that prematurely terminated the translation process, leading to a severe form of the hereditary disorder.
    • missense
  3. 5 nonsensical (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    describing something that does not make sense.

    having no intelligible meaning; often used in technical contexts to describe sequences.

    Example

    The computer produced a nonsense string of characters after the crash.

    Example

    The algorithm was designed to filter out nonsense data points that could skew the final statistical analysis.
  4. 6 to dismiss or belittle (v.)
    C2 Proficiency Informal British English

    to treat something as if it is not important or to ignore it.

    to dismiss or belittle the significance of an argument or person; to render something unimportant.

    Example

    Don't try to nonsense your way out of this mistake.

    Example

    The opposition attempted to nonsense the government's latest economic report, claiming the figures were manipulated.

    Usage

    Often used in political or argumentative contexts.
Origin

From non- (“no, none, lack of”) + sense, from c. 1610. Compare the semantically similar West Frisian ûnsin (“nonsense”), Dutch onzin (“nonsense”), German Unsinn (“nonsense”), English unsense (“nonsense”).

Word family

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