absurd

First attested in 1557. From Middle French absurde, from Latin absurdus (“incongruous, dissonant, out of tune”),[1] from ab (“away from, out”) + surdus (“silent, deaf, dull-sounding”).[2] Compare surd.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /əbˈsɜːd/
• (US) IPA^(key): /æbˈsɝd/, /æbˈzɝd/, /əbˈsɝd/, /əbˈzɝd/
• (Canada) IPA^(key): /æbˈzɝd/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(r)d

• Audio (US)

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absurd (comparative absurder or more absurd, superlative absurdest or most absurd)

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. [First attested in the mid 16^th century.][3]
   • 1591, William Shakespeare, Henry VI, Part I, V-iv

     This proffer is absurd and reasonless.

   • ca. 1710, Alexander Pope

     This phrase absurd to call a villain great

   • 1918, W. B. Maxwell, chapter 17, in The Mirror and the Lamp:

     “Perhaps it is because I have been excommunicated. It's absurd, but I feel like the Jackdaw of Rheims.” ¶ She winced and bowed her head. Each time that he spoke flippantly of the Church he caused her pain.

   • 1979, Roger Hodgson (lyrics), “The Logical Song”, in Breakfast in America, performed by Supertramp:

     I know it sounds absurd / But please, tell me who I am

2. (obsolete) Inharmonious; dissonant. [Attested only in the early 17^th century.][3]
3. Having no rational or orderly relationship to people's lives; meaningless; lacking order or value.
   • (Can we date this quote?) Adults have condemned them to live in what must seem like an absurd universe. - Joseph Featherstone
4. Dealing with absurdism.

• In the comparative and superlative degrees, the forms more absurd and most absurd (rather than absurder and absurdest) are generally preferred.
• Among the synonyms:
  • Irrational is the weakest, denoting that which is plainly inconsistent with the dictates of sound reason; as, an irrational course of life.
  • Foolish rises higher, and implies either a perversion of that faculty, or an absolute weakness or fatuity of mind; as, foolish enterprises.
  • Absurd rises still higher, denoting that which is plainly opposed to received notions of propriety and truth; as, an absurd man, project, opinion, story, argument, etc.
  • Preposterous rises still higher, and supposes an absolute inversion in the order of things; or, in plain terms, a "putting of the cart before the horse;" as, a preposterous suggestion, preposterous conduct, a preposterous regulation or law.

• foolish, irrational, ridiculous, preposterous, inconsistent, incongruous, ludicrous
• See also Thesaurus:absurd

• absurdly, absurdity
• Absurdistan

absurd (plural absurds)

1. (obsolete) An absurdity. [Attested from the early 17^th century until the mid 17^th century.][3]
2. (philosophy, often preceded by the) 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. [First attested in English in the early 20^th century and first used in the mid-19^th century in Danish by Kierkegaard.][3][4]

• theatre of the absurd

• absurd in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• absurd in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

• Brauds, Burdas

Borrowed from Latin absurdus.

• (Balearic) IPA^(key): /əpˈsuɾt/
• (Central) IPA^(key): /əpˈsurt/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /apˈsuɾt/

absurd (feminine absurda, masculine plural absurds, feminine plural absurdes)

1. absurd

• absurdament

• sord

absurd m (plural absurds)

1. absurdity

Borrowed from Latin absurdus (“discordant, unreasonable”).

• IPA^(key): /absurd/, [ɑbˈsuɐ̯ˀd̥]

absurd (neuter absurd, plural and definite singular attributive absurde)

1. absurd

absurd

1. absurdly

• absurditet

Borrowed from Middle French absurde, from Latin absurdus.

• IPA^(key): /ɑpˈsʏrt/

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• Hyphenation: ab‧surd
• Rhymes: -ʏrt

absurd (comparative absurder, superlative absurdst)

1. absurd

• absurdisme
• absurditeit

Borrowed from Latin absurdus.

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absurd (comparative absurder, superlative am absurdesten)

1. absurd

• Absurdismus
• Absurdität

• absurd in Duden online

From German absurd, from Latin absurdus.

• IPA^(key): /apˈzuʀt/, [ɑbˈzuχt]

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absurd (masculine absurden, neuter absurd, comparative méi absurd, superlative am absurdsten)

1. absurd

• Absurditéit

Borrowed from Latin absurdus.

absurd (neuter singular absurd, definite singular and plural absurde)

1. absurd

• absurditet

• “absurd” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Borrowed from Latin absurdus.

absurd (neuter singular absurd, definite singular and plural absurde)

1. absurd

• absurditet

• “absurd” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Borrowed from Latin absurdus.

• IPA^(key): /ˈap.surt/

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absurd m inan

1. nonsense

   Jego propozycje to jeden wielki absurd.

   His suggestions are one big load of nonsense.

• absurdalny — adjective absurd

• absurd in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Borrowed from French absurde, Latin absurdus.

• IPA^(key): /abˈsurd/

absurd m or n (feminine singular absurdă, masculine plural absurzi, feminine and neuter plural absurde)

1. absurd

Borrowed from Latin absurdus.

absurd

1. absurd

• absurdism
• absurditet