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Definition of "absurd" []

  • Ridiculously incongruous or unreasonable. See Synonyms at foolish. (adjective)
  • Of, relating to, or manifesting the view that there is no order or value in human life or in the universe. (adjective)
  • Of or relating to absurdism or the absurd. (adjective)
  • The condition or state in which humans exist in a meaningless, irrational universe wherein people's lives have no purpose or meaning. Used chiefly with the. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "absurd" in a sentence
  • "Yes, Samuelson's argument is that absurd, and the pejorative overtones of the word "absurd" are deliberate."
  • "Qiu presents their turns of fortune dryly, with an appreciation for the absurd and a sense, too, for when the absurd is also truly tragic."
  • "Pope John Paul on Sunday appealed for an end to what he called the absurd civil war in Angola, saying all sides were losing in such a conflict."