# nonsense

/ˈnɑnsɛns/ (US) · /nˈɒnsəns/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/nonsense
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. meaningless words

noun · CEFR B1

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

For teachers: spoken or written communication that lacks coherent meaning or logical structure.

- The toddler was just speaking nonsense that nobody could understand.
- The witness's testimony was complete nonsense, filled with internal contradictions that the lawyer quickly exposed during cross-examination.

### 2. foolish behaviour

noun · CEFR B1

silly or annoying behaviour that lacks a good reason.

For teachers: conduct or ideas that are considered foolish, illogical, or trivial.

- Stop this nonsense and get back to your homework immediately.
- The manager refused to put up with any more nonsense from the staff regarding the new safety protocols.

### 3. literary genre

noun · CEFR C1 · Academic

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

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

- Edward Lear is famous for writing nonsense poems like 'The Owl and the Pussy-cat'.
- Victorian nonsense literature often served as a subtle critique of the rigid social and linguistic hierarchies of the era.

### 4. genetic mutation

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

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

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

- A nonsense mutation in the gene caused the protein to be too short.
- The researchers identified a nonsense mutation that prematurely terminated the translation process, leading to a severe form of the hereditary disorder.

### 6. nonsensical

adjective · CEFR B2

describing something that does not make sense.

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

- The computer produced a nonsense string of characters after the crash.
- The algorithm was designed to filter out nonsense data points that could skew the final statistical analysis.

### 7. to dismiss or belittle

verb · CEFR C2 · Informal · British English

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

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

- Don't try to nonsense your way out of this mistake.
- The opposition attempted to nonsense the government's latest economic report, claiming the figures were manipulated.

Usage: Often used in political or argumentative contexts.

## Examples

- Stop talking nonsense and tell me the truth.
- The witness's story was complete nonsense, as he claimed to be in two places at once.
- While the poem is technically categorized as literary nonsense, its rhythmic structure and invented vocabulary evoke a surprisingly clear emotional landscape for the reader.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.