absurdity

C2+ Topic:Abstract Ideas

US /əbˈsɝdəti/ UK /əbˈsɜːdɪti/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
the quality of being ridiculous or wildly unreasonable

They laughed at the sheer absurdity of the situation.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the quality of being... ridiculousnessfoolishness nonsense folly sillinesspreposterousnessinanity

Opposites

sense reason logic rationalitysensibleness

Word family

Related forms absurd absurdlyabsurdism

Etymology

From Latin absurditās ('dissonance, incongruity'), from absurdus ('out of tune, irrational'), from ab- (intensive) + surdus ('deaf, dull, muffled').

absurditās Latin surdus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Abstract Ideas Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# absurdity

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /əbˈsɝdəti/
**IPA (UK):** /əbˈsɜːdɪti/

## Meanings
1. the quality of being ridiculous or wildly unreasonable

## Examples
- They laughed at the sheer absurdity of the situation.

## Synonyms
- ridiculousness
- foolishness
- nonsense
- folly
- silliness
- preposterousness
- inanity

## Antonyms
- sense
- reason
- logic
- rationality
- sensibleness

## Related Forms
- absurd
- absurdly
- absurdism

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: absurditās
- Root: surdus

## Etymology
From Latin absurditās ('dissonance, incongruity'), from absurdus ('out of tune, irrational'), from ab- (intensive) + surdus ('deaf, dull, muffled').

## AI Etymology
Absurdity comes from Latin absurditās ('dissonance, incongruity'), from absurdus ('out of tune, irrational'), from ab- (intensive) + surdus ('deaf, dull, muffled'). The historical trail runs through Latin absurditās and Latin surdus. Morphologically, the surface form is analyzable into prefixes, suffixes, compounds, or participial endings that carry part of the history. In modern use it means the quality of being ridiculous or wildly unreasonable. Related forms include absurd, absurdly, absurdism.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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