Synonyms for absurd
- adjective
Most common
Synonyms by meaning
Adjective
1. Ridiculous — contrary to reason or propriety; obviously and flatly opposed to manifest truth; inconsistent with the plain…
ridiculous, ludicrous, preposterous, nonsensical, laughable, foolish, illogical, farcical, unreasonable, silly, irrational, idiotic, asinine, stupid, senseless, funny, grotesque, fanciful, unwise, extravagant, monstrous, chimerical
2. Incongruous — inharmonious; dissonant
Other
Definitions
- adj. 1
Contrary to reason or propriety; obviously and flatly opposed to manifest truth; inconsistent with the plain dictates of common sense; logically contradictory; nonsensical; ridiculous; silly.
- adj. 2
Inharmonious; dissonant.
Related words
- Word family
- absurdity absurdly absurdness
- Is a kind of
- false
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From the opposite of absurd, on the left, to its strongest synonyms, on the right.
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That is absurd which is contrary to the first principles of reasoning; as, that a part should be greater than the whole is absurd. A paradoxical statement appears at first thought contradictory or absurd, while it may be really true.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- ridiculous That's the most ridiculous movie I have ever seen.
- ludicrous Did you see that ludicrous display last night?
- preposterous I've never heard such preposterous accusations!
- nonsensical Absolutely nonsensical things happen in this world.
- paradoxical Many paradoxes are paradoxical only because they sound strange.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| absurd | steady | |
| ridiculous | rising | |
| ludicrous | steady | |
| preposterous | steady | |
| nonsensical | rising | |
| paradoxical | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 5 letters
- funny2, silly2
- 6 letters
- stupid2, unwise2
- 7 letters
- foolish2, idiotic4, asinine3
- 8 letters
- fanciful3, farcical3
- 9 letters
- senseless2, monstrous2, ludicrous3, grotesque2, laughable3, illogical4, anomalous4
- 10 letters
- ridiculous4, irrational4, chimerical4
- 11 letters
- extravagant4, nonsensical4, paradoxical5, incongruous4, incongruent
- 12 letters
- unreasonable4, inconsistent4, preposterous4
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (funny2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- absurde
- Italiano
- assurdo
- Español
- absurdo
- Deutsch
- widersinnig
- Català
- absurd