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absurdity

absurdity

54 6.1
Something very silly that goes against common sense
  • noun
  • /əbˈsɜrdɪti/
translation icon : absurdo
  • The voice is that of an independent person reminding us of the absurdities that permeate our daily lives.
  • the absurdity of life
  • see the absurdity
  • realize the absurdity

They used dreams and the absurdity of dreams as inspiration for their work.

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Examples

  • She pointed out the absurdity of trying to solve a complex problem with a simple solution.

  • The brochure in front of him mocked him with the absurdity of that idea.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • But think of the absurdity of how everyone is thinking about things.

  • And it's the absurdity of not being able to give us that much.

  • You should laugh in the face of the absurdity of all of the things.

  • And for me, you know, my life, may I, the absurdity, the being in touch with absurdity has been very, very helpful.

  • Oh, Susan, enjoy the absurdity of our world.

  • Yet Picasso turns that absurdity into a work of art.

  • There's just an absurdity to the whole thing.

  • He understood the absurdity of the situation.

Synonyms

insanity
vsabsurdity
231 6.5

A serious mental illness that makes a person unable to think or behave normally

highlights absurd or illogical quality rather than a clinical condition
silliness
vsabsurdity
29 2.6

Playful or foolish behavior that is not serious and often funny

tends toward serious illogic and strong departure from common sense
lunacy
vsabsurdity
22 7.5

Extremely foolish behavior that shows very poor judgment

is a broader quality of being unreasonable without implying madness
irrationality
vsabsurdity
12 6.2

A lack of clear, logical thinking

leans more toward being silly or wildly unreasonable rather than technical illogic
ridiculousness
vsabsurdity
10 4.9

Being very silly or clearly unreasonable

focuses more on general unreasonable or illogical character
outrageousness
vsabsurdity
3 7.2

A quality of being shocking or extreme

highlights simple illogic rather than shock or excess
foolery
vsabsurdity
2 6.1

Silly, harmless behavior that makes people laugh

is the concept of being illogical or wildly unreasonable rather than playful
bizarreness
vsabsurdity
1 6.9

A state of being very strange or unusual that surprises people

focuses on lack of sense rather than merely odd appearance
ludicrousness
vsabsurdity
1 7.5

A situation so silly or unreasonable that people laugh and do not believe it

is broader, stressing lack of sense rather than just ridicule
fatuity
vsabsurdity
  • Formal
1 9.9

A very silly and stupid idea or action

is more general and covers broad unreasonable states beyond single acts
preposterousness
vsabsurdity
1 7.9

A state of being very silly and clearly against common sense

is a general label for things that lack sense or logic
unreasonableness
vsabsurdity
1 6.0

An action or decision that is unfair and does not make sense

focuses more on illogic and contradiction with common sense
outlandishness
vsabsurdity
1 8.4

Being very unusual in appearance, ideas, or behavior

is centered on illogic and contradiction to common sense
absurdness
vsabsurdity
7.3

A situation that is very strange and does not make sense

is the preferred variant used with identical meaning
farcicality
vsabsurdity
9.9

Being very silly and absurd so it seems like a bad joke

describes plain lack of sense without the theatrical tone
illogicality
vsabsurdity
7.8

A way of thinking that does not follow clear reasons

is broader, including emotional or laughable kinds of unreason
illogicalness
vsabsurdity
8.1

A quality of an idea or argument that has no clear, sensible reasons

covers the same problem but with more emphasis on wild unreason
fatuousness
vsabsurdity
9.5

A state of being foolish and not thinking clearly

is wider, including willful or extreme forms of being unreasonable

Antonyms

3.7

Good practical judgment about what to do

34 5.4

Clear thinking and decisions based on facts and logic

How Absurd

absurdity
54 6.1
oddity
15 5.3

Surface Forms

absurdity singular
absurdities plural

Morphology

absurdity = absurd (transparent) = absurd + ity

Standard nominalization: '-ity' forms a noun meaning 'the state or quality of being absurd', which is directly inferable from the adjective.

Etymology

Absurdity comes from the Latin word absurdus, which meant 'out of tune' or a wrong sound, like a note that does not fit in a song. So an absurdity is something that 'doesn't fit' with reason or sense, which is why we call an idea ridiculous or illogical.