Definition of ABSURD

absurd

Plural: absurds

Noun

  • The quality of being ridiculously unreasonable.
  • a situation in which life seems irrational and meaningless; --Albert Camus
    • "The absurd is the essential concept and the first truth"
  • An absurdity.
  • The opposition between the human search for meaning in life and the inability to find any; the state or condition in which man exists in an irrational universe and his life has no meaning outside of his existence.

Adjective Satellite

  • inconsistent with reason or logic or common sense; - Walter Lippman
    • "the absurd predicament of seeming to argue that virtue is highly desirable but intensely unpleasant"
  • incongruous;inviting ridicule
    • "the absurd excuse that the dog ate his homework"

Adj

  • 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.
  • Inharmonious; dissonant.
  • Having no rational or orderly relationship to people's lives; meaningless; lacking order or value.
  • Dealing with absurdism.

Adjective

  • Wildly unreasonable, illogical, or inappropriate.

Examples

  • His challenge of the word ’ZA’ was simply absurd.
  • The absurd of the situation was drawing three ’Q’s in a row.

Origin / Etymology

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.

Scrabble Score: 9

absurd: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
absurd: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
absurd: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 11

absurd: valid Words With Friends Word