absurd
gb/əbsˈɚd/ us/əbsˈɚd/
B2
English
~ 3000
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B2
property
1
extremely unreasonable or illogical
Very silly, strange, or not reasonable.
Usage pattern:
[something] is absurd
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'absurd' with 'abstract'. 'Absurd' means illogical or unreasonable, while 'abstract' refers to something theoretical or not concrete.
Synonyms
ridiculous (Often suggests something silly or laughable, sometimes with less emphasis on logic than 'absurd'.)
|
preposterous (Stronger and more formal than 'absurd', often implying outrage at the lack of logic.)
Antonyms
reasonable (Implies being fair, logical, and acceptable, the opposite of 'absurd'.)
|
sensible (Implies showing good judgment and practicality, the opposite of 'absurd'.)
Collocations
utterly absurd
|completely absurd
|seem absurd
|sound absurd
|absurd idea
Themes
opinions
|logic
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- It's absurd to drive such a short distance.
- The idea that the Earth is flat is absurd.
- He found the price of the shoes completely absurd.
- They laughed at the absurd claim.
- Her excuse was so absurd that no one believed her.
Learner examples
- That rule is absurd.
- It is absurd to pay so much money for this.
- His story sounds absurd.
- The price is absurd.
- This plan is absurd.
adjective
literary
C1
property
2
comically out of touch with reality
Very strange in a funny way because it does not make sense.
Usage pattern:
[something] is absurd
Synonyms
surreal (Suggests dreamlike strangeness rather than pure illogic.)
|
bizarre (Implies extreme oddness, sometimes without the humorous tone of 'absurd'.)
Antonyms
realistic (Describes something true to life, the opposite of fantastically illogical or strange.)
Collocations
absurd comedy
|absurd situation
|absurd humor
Themes
art
|humor
|literature
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- The play is full of absurd characters and situations.
- His humor borders on the absurd.
- The film takes an absurd approach to serious topics.
Learner examples
- The movie was funny because it was absurd.
- That book has many absurd stories.
- The play showed an absurd world.
Grammar
Dictionary form
absurd
IPA
GB/əbsˈɚd/
US/əbsˈɚd/
Syllables & stress
ab - surd (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (surd)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: absurd
Word family
Core family
absurdly
adverb
absurdity
noun B2
Advanced or less common
absurdism
noun
absurdist
noun
Expressions
reduction to the absurd
1/ɹɪdˈʌkʃən tə ðə əbsˈɚd/
fixed phrase
formal
arguing by showing a ridiculous result
A way to show an idea is wrong by showing it leads to something silly or impossible.
Examples
- The philosopher used a reduction to the absurd to disprove the claim.
- Her argument ends in a reduction to the absurd.
theatre of the absurd
1/θˈiətɚ əv ðə əbsˈɚd/
fixed phrase
literary
drama showing life as meaningless
A kind of play that shows life as strange and without clear meaning.
Examples
- Samuel Beckett's 'Waiting for Godot' is a classic example of theatre of the absurd.
- She compared the endless meeting to a scene from the theatre of the absurd.