Word
absurd
Meanings
Completely unreasonable or illogical; ridiculous.
So extreme or exaggerated that it becomes laughable.
Definition
Absurd describes something that is wildly unreasonable or ridiculous and does not make sense.
Something is absurd when it is so illogical or inappropriate that it seems ridiculous. It often highlights a clear mismatch between reality and what someone claims, expects, or proposes. People use it to criticize ideas, rules, or situations that feel obviously unreasonable.
Examples
- I found it absurd that the meeting ran for two hours just to choose a font.
- You’d have to ignore all the evidence to accept such an absurd explanation.
- He called the accusation absurd and asked for a clear timeline of events.
- She laughed at the absurd price tag for a bottle of plain water at the stadium.
- They realized it was absurd to expect perfect results without enough time to practice.
Common mistake
Learners sometimes use "absurd" to mean "a little surprising" when it usually implies something clearly illogical or ridiculous.
More at C1 level
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- xenophobia Xenophobia is a strong dislike or fear of people from other countries or cultures.
- genocide Genocide is the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular group in order to …
- conundrum A conundrum is a confusing and difficult problem to solve.
- pretentious Trying to seem more important, intelligent, or cultured than you really are.
More adjectives
- agnostic An agnostic is someone who does not claim to know whether God exists.
- pragmatic Pragmatic means focused on practical results rather than ideals or theories.
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- cynical Cynical describes believing that people are mainly motivated by self-interest and not sincere.
- apathetic Apathetic means showing little or no interest, concern, or enthusiasm.