# absurd
## English
### Etymology

First attested in 1557. From Middle French absurde, from Latin absurdus (“incongruous, dissonant, out of tune”), from ab (“away from, out”) + surdus (“silent, deaf, dull-sounding”). Compare surd.

### Pronunciation

* (Received Pronunciation) IPA: /əbˈsɜːd/, /əbˈzɜːd/
* (General American) IPA: /æbˈsɝd/, /æbˈzɝd/, /əbˈsɝd/, /əbˈzɝd/
* (Canada) IPA: /æbˈsəɹd/, [abˈsɚ(ɹ)d], /æbˈzəɹd/, /əb-/
* Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)d
* Audio (US):(file)

### Adjective

absurd (comparative absurder or more absurd, superlative absurdest or most absurd)
* Contrary to reason or propriety; obviously and flatly opposed to manifest truth; inconsistent with the plain dictates of common sense; logically contradictory; nonsensical; ridiculous; silly. [from mid-16th c.]
    Synonyms: foolish, irrational, ridiculous, preposterous, ludicrous
** 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iv]:This proffer is absurd and reasonless.
** 1734, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on Man. […], epistle IV, London: Printed for J[ohn] Wilford, […], →OCLC:'Tis phrase absurd to call a villain great
** 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XVII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:“Perhaps it is because I have been excommunicated. It's absurd, but I feel like the Jackdaw of Rheims.” ¶ She winced and bowed her head. Each time that he spoke flippantly of the Church he caused her pain.
** 1979, “The Logical Song”, in Roger Hodgson (lyrics), Breakfast in America, performed by Supertramp:I know it sounds absurd / But please, tell me who I am
* (obsolete) Inharmonious; dissonant. [only early 17th c.]
    Synonyms: inconsistent, incongruous
* Having no rational or orderly relationship to people's lives; meaningless; lacking order or value.
** 1968 March 2, Joseph Featherstone, “A New Kind of Schooling”, in The New Republic:Adults have condemned them to live in what must seem like an absurd universe.
* Dealing with absurdism.

#### Usage notes

* In the comparative and superlative degrees, the forms more absurd and most absurd are usually preferred over absurder, absurdest.
* Webster 1913 has the sole definition "Contrary to reason or propriety; obviously and flatly opposed to manifest truth; inconsistent with the plain dictates of common sense; logically contradictory; nonsensical; ridiculous; as, an absurd person, an absurd opinion; an absurd dream."

#### Synonyms

* See also Thesaurus:absurd

#### Derived terms

* absurdification
* absurdify
* Absurdistan
* absurdity
* absurdly
* absurdness
* nonabsurd
* reduction to the absurd
* unabsurd

#### Collocations

* absurd idea
* absurd thing
* absurd notion
* absurd story
* absurd result
* absurd consequence
* absurd practice
* absurd way
* absurd manner
* absurd figure
* absurd thought
* absurd question
* absurd situation
* absurd world
* absurd desire

#### Translations
### Noun

absurd (plural absurds)
* (obsolete) An absurdity. [early 17th–mid 17th c.]
* (philosophy, often preceded by the) The opposition between the human search for meaning in life and the inability to find any; the state or condition in which man exists in an irrational universe and his life has no meaning outside of his existence. [from early 20th century in English; from mid-19th century in Danish by Kierkegaard]

#### Derived terms

* Theatre of the Absurd

#### Translations

    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

### References

* ↑ Laurence Urdang (editor), The Random House College Dictionary (Random House, 1984 [1975], →ISBN), page 7
* ↑ Philip Babcock Gove (editor), Webster's Third International Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged (G. & C. Merriam Co., 1976 [1909], →ISBN), page 8
* 1 2 3 4 Lesley Brown, editor-in-chief, William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, editors (2002), “absurd”, in The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 5th edition, Oxford, New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 10.
* ↑ "Søren Kierkegaard" in The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

### Further reading

* “absurd”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
* William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “absurd”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
* “absurd”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
* “absurd”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
* “absurd”, in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th edition, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016, →ISBN.
* “absurd”, in Collins English Dictionary.
* “absurd” (US) / “absurd” (UK) in Macmillan English Dictionary.

### Anagrams

* Brauds, Burdas

## Catalan
### Etymology

Borrowed from Latin absurdus.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: (Central, Balearic) [əpˈsurt]
* IPA: (Valencia) [apˈsuɾt]
* Rhymes: -uɾt

### Adjective

absurd (feminine absurda, masculine plural absurds, feminine plural absurdes)
* absurd

#### Derived terms

* absurdament

#### Related terms

* absurditat
* sord

### Noun

absurd m (plural absurds)
* absurdity

### Further reading

* “absurd” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
* “absurd”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025
* “absurd” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
* “absurd” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

## Danish
### Etymology

Borrowed from Latin absurdus (“discordant, unreasonable”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /absurd/, [ɑbˈsuɐ̯ˀd̥]

### Adjective

absurd (neuter absurd, plural and definite singular attributive absurde)
* absurd

### Adverb

absurd
* absurdly

#### Derived terms

* absurditet

## Dutch
### Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French absurde, from Latin absurdus.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ɑpˈsʏrt/
* Audio:(file)
* Hyphenation: ab‧surd
* Rhymes: -ʏrt

### Adjective

absurd (comparative absurder, superlative absurdst)
* absurd

#### Related terms

* absurdisme
* absurditeit

#### Descendants

* → Indonesian: absurd

## German
### Etymology

Borrowed from Latin absurdus.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /apˈzʊʁt/
* Audio:(file)
* Audio:(file)

### Adjective

absurd (strong nominative masculine singular absurder, comparative absurder, superlative am absurdesten)
* absurd

#### Related terms

* Absurdismus
* Absurdität

#### Descendants

* → Bulgarian: абсу́рд (absúrd)

### Further reading

* “absurd” in Duden online
* “absurd” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

## Indonesian
### Etymology

From Dutch absurd, from Middle French absurde, from Latin absurdus.

### Pronunciation

* (Standard Indonesian) IPA: /ˈabsurd/ [ˈap̚.surt̪̚]
* Syllabification: ab‧surd

### Adjective

absurd
* absurd

#### Derived terms

* keabsurdan (“absurdness, absurdity”)
* seabsurd (“as absurd as”)
* terabsurd (“absurdest”)

#### Related terms

* absurdisme

### Further reading

* “absurd” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

## Kashubian
### Etymology

Borrowed from Polish absurd.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈap.surt/
* Rhymes: -apsurt
* Syllabification: ab‧surd

### Noun

absurd m inan
* absurdity, nonsense
    Synonym: bezsens

#### Derived terms

* absurdalny

### Further reading

* Jan Trepczyk (1994) “absurd”, in Słownik polsko-kaszubski (in Kashubian), volumes 1–2
* Eùgeniusz Gòłąbk (2011) “absurd”, in Słownik Polsko-Kaszubski / Słowôrz Pòlskò-Kaszëbsczi‎
* “absurd”, in Internetowi Słowôrz Kaszëbsczégò Jãzëka [Internet Dictionary of the Kashubian Language], Fundacja Kaszuby, 2022

## Luxembourgish
### Etymology

From German absurd, from Latin absurdus.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ɑpˈzuʀt/, [ɑpˈzuχt]
* Audio:(file)

### Adjective

absurd (masculine absurden, neuter absurd, comparative méi absurd, superlative am absurdsten)
* absurd

#### Related terms

* Absurditéit

## Norwegian Bokmål
### Etymology

From Latin absurdus (“incongruous, dissonant, out of tune”), from both ab- (“from, away from, off”), from Latin ab (“from, away from, on, in”), from Proto-Italic *ab, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó (“off, away”) + and from surdus (“silent, deaf, dull-sounding”), from Proto-Indo-European *swer- (“to resound; ringing, whistling”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /abˈsʉɖ/, /abˈsʉʁd/, /apˈsʉɖ/, /apˈsʉʁd/
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -ʉɖ, -ʉʁd, -ʉrd
* Hyphenation: ab‧surd

### Adjective

absurd (neuter singular absurd, definite singular and plural absurde, comparative mer absurd, superlative mest absurd)
* absurd (contrary to reason or propriety; obviously and flatly opposed to manifest truth)
    Synonyms: fornuftsstridig, meningsløs, irrasjonell
    et absurd spørsmålan absurd question
    dette er jo ganske absurdthis is quite absurd
** 1882, Henrik Ibsen, En folkefiende, page 164:absurde traditionerabsurd traditions
** 1907, Alexander L. Kielland, Samlede værker II (Mindeutgave), page 67:en saa absurd forbindelse – med en stor rødhaaret bondepigesuch an absurd connection - with a big red-haired peasant girl
** 2000, Trude Marstein, Plutselig høre noen åpne en dør, page 188:situasjonen er absurd, tenker jegthe situation is absurd, I think
** 1997, Espen Schaanning, Vitenskap som skapt viten, page 66:radikalt nye innfallsvinkler og synsmåter står alltid i fare for å framtre som absurde og paradoksaleradically new approaches and views are always in danger of appearing absurd and paradoxical
** 1999, Elsbeth Wessel, Wien, page 288:[keiser Frans Josef] var en ensom mann, resignert, men fylt av en nesten absurd pliktfølelse[Emperor Francis Joseph] was a lonely man, resigned, but filled with an almost absurd sense of duty
** 2006, Lars Roar Langslet, Når fuglen letter, page 11:i billedkunsten er det åpenbart absurd å tale om noe fremskrittin the visual arts, it is obviously absurd to talk about any progress
* (theater, literary sciences) absurdist (of or relating to absurdism)
    Synonym: absurdistisk
** 1982, Torolf Elster, Thomas Pihls annen lov, page 40:en absurd komedie eller et absurd melodramaan absurd comedy or an absurd melodrama
** 1991, Åsfrid Svensen, Orden og kaos, page 326:i absurd litteratur mangler gjerne motsetningen mellom normalitet og fantastikkin absurd literature, the contrast between normality and fantastic is often lacking
** 1998, Kjetil Rolness, Elvis Presley, page 37:framførelsen nærmer seg grensen til absurd komikkthe performance is approaching the limit of absurd comedy
** 1976, Leif Longum, Å lese skuespill, page 122:ordenes sammenbrudd, som kanskje er det viktigste fellestema ved det absurde teaterthe breakdown of words, which is perhaps the most important common theme of the absurd theater

#### Derived terms

* absurdisme
* absurdist
* absurdistisk
* absurditet
* absurdteater
* ad absurdum
* in absurdum

### References

* “absurd” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
* “absurd” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).
* “absurd” in Store norske leksikon

### Anagrams

* bardus

## Norwegian Nynorsk
### Etymology

Borrowed from Latin absurdus.

### Adjective

absurd (neuter singular absurd, definite singular and plural absurde)
* absurd

#### Related terms

* absurditet

### References

* “absurd” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

## Polish
### Alternative forms

* absurdum (obsolete)

### Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin absurdus. First attested in 1564.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈap.surt/
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -apsurt
* Syllabification: ab‧surd

### Noun

absurd m inan (diminutive absurdzik)
* absurdity, nonsense
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:nonsens
    Jego propozycje to jeden wielki absurd. ― His suggestions are one big load of nonsense.
* (logic) absurdity

#### Derived terms

* absurdalny
* absurdyzm

#### Related terms

* absurdystyczny
* absurdalnie
* absurdalista
* absurdalizacja
* absurdalność
* absurdysta
* absurdalizować impf

#### Collocations

* kompletny absurd ― complete absurdity
* totalny absurd ― total absurdity
* czysty absurd ― pure absurdity
* zupełny absurd ― utter absurdity
* biurokratyczny absurd ― bureaucratic absurdity
* piramidalny absurd ― pyramidal absurdity
* urzędniczy absurd ― bureaucratic absurdity
* oczywisty absurd ― obvious absurdity
* jawny absurd ― sheer absurdity
* całkowity absurd ― utter absurdity
* cenowy absurd ― absurdity of prices
* absolutny absurd ― absolute absurdity
* pełny absurd ― full of absurdity
* ekonomiczny absurd ― economic absurdity
* krwawy absurd ― bloody absurdity
* tragiczny absurd ― tragic absurdity
* logiczny absurd ― logical absurdity
* zwykły absurd ― sheer absurdity
* drogowy absurd ― road absurdity
* komunistyczny absurd ― communist absurdity
* śmieszny absurd ― ridiculous absurdity
* prawdziwy absurd ― real absurdity
* wielki absurd ― great absurdity
* chory absurd ― sick absurdity
* absurd prawny ― legal absurdity
* absurd gospodarczy ― economic absurdity
* granica absurdu ― borderline absurdity
* teatr absurdu ― theater of absurdity
* kraina absurdu ― land of absurdity
* spirala absurdu ― spiral of absurdity
* szczyt absurdu ― peak of absurdity
* poetyka absurdu ― poetics of absurdity
* nagromadzenie absurdu ― accumulation of absurdity
* poczucie absurdu ― sense of absurdity
* pogranicze absurdu ― borderline absurdity
* komedia absurdu ― comedy of absurdity
* wyczucie absurdu ― sense of absurdity
* poziom absurdu ― level of absurdity
* teatrzyk absurdu ― theater of absurdity
* skraj absurdu ― edge of absurdity
* dawka absurdu ― dose of absurdity
* wyżyny absurdu ― thheights of absurdity
* znamię absurdu ― mark of absurdity
* stek absurdów ― bunch of absurdities
* dramat absurdu ― drama of absurdity
* mnożenie absurdu ― multiplication of absurdity
* rekord absurdu ― record of absurdity
* piramida absurdu ― pyramid of absurdity
* sfera absurdu ― realm of absurdity
* natężenie absurdu ― intensity of absurdity
* świat absurdu ― world of absurdity
* dno absurdu ― bottom of absurdity
* humor absurdu ― humor of absurdity
* miłośnik absurdu ― lover of absurdity
* logika absurdu ― logic of absurdity
* literatura absurdu ― literature of absurdity
* atmosfera absurdu ― atmosphere of absurdity
* kraj absurdu ― land of absurdity
* przejaw absurdu ― manifestation of absurdity
* mistrz absurdu ― master of absurdity
* stopień absurdu ― degree of absurdity
* klimat absurdu ― climate of absurdity
* świątynia absurdu ― temple of absurdity
* kategoria absurdu ― category of absurdity
* konwencja absurdu ― convention of absurdity
* świadomość absurdu ― awareness of absurdity
* kino absurdu ― cinema of absurdity
* morze absurdu ― sea of absurdity
* koniec absurdu ― end of absurdity
* likwidacja absurdu ― elimination of absurdity
* księga absurdu ― book of absurdity
* obszar absurdu ― area of absurdity
* masa absurdu ― mass of absurdity
* źródło absurdu ― source of absurdity
* skala absurdu ― scale of absurdity
* duch absurdu ― spirit of absurdity
* państwo absurdu ― state of absurdity
* absurd codzienności ― absurdity of everyday life
* absurd egzystencji ― absurdity of existence
* absurd biurokracji ― absurdity of bureaucracy
* absurd komunizmu ― absurdity of communism
* absurd istnienia ― absurdity of existence
* absurd rzeczywistości ― absurdity of reality
* absurd życia ― absurdity of life
* absurd wojny ― absurdity of war
* absurd sytuacji ― absurdity of the situation
* absurd świata ― absurdity of the world
* absurd systemu ― absurdity of the system
* absurd historii ― absurdity of history
* absurd prawa ― absurdity of the law
* trącić absurdem ― to smack of absurdity
* obnażać absurd ― to expose absurdity
* tropić absurd ― to track absurdity
* sięgać/sięgnąć/osiągnąć absurdu ― to reach absurdity
* sprowadzać absurd ― to bring absurdity
* wyjaśniać absurd ― to explain the absurdity
* absurd goni ― absurdity ensues
* absurd denerwuje ― absurdity annoys
* absurd oburza ― absurdity is outrageous
* prowadzić/sprowadzać/sprowadzić do absurdu ― to reach absurdity
* graniczyć z absurdem ― to be on the edge of absurdity

### References

* ↑ Mirosław Bańko, Lidia Wiśniakowska (2021) “absurd”, in Wielki słownik wyrazów obcych, →ISBN
* ↑ Bańkowski, Andrzej (2000) “absurd”, in Etymologiczny słownik języka polskiego [Etymological Dictionary of the Polish Language] (in Polish)
* ↑ Witold Doroszewski, editor (1958–1969), “absurd”, in Słownik języka polskiego (in Polish), Warszawa: PWN
* ↑ Maria Renata Mayenowa, Stanisław Rospond, Witold Taszycki, Stefan Hrabec, Władysław Kuraszkiewicz (2010-2023) “absurdum”, in Słownik Polszczyzny XVI Wieku [A Dictionary of 16th Century Polish]

### Further reading

* absurd in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
* absurd in Polish dictionaries at PWN
* Wiesław Morawski (02.09.2020) “ABSURD”, in Elektroniczny Słownik Języka Polskiego XVII i XVIII Wieku [Electronic Dictionary of the Polish Language of the XVII and XVIII Century]
* Aleksander Zdanowicz (1861) “absurdum”, in Słownik języka polskiego, Wilno 1861
* J. Karłowicz, A. Kryński, W. Niedźwiedzki, editors (1900), “absurd, absurdum”, in Słownik języka polskiego (in Polish), volume 1, Warsaw, page 4

## Romanian
### Etymology

Borrowed from French absurde, Latin absurdus.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /abˈsurd/
* Audio:(file)

### Adjective

absurd m or n (feminine singular absurdă, masculine plural absurzi, feminine and neuter plural absurde)
* absurd

#### Related terms

* absurditate

## Swedish
### Etymology

Borrowed from Latin absurdus.

### Adjective

absurd (comparative absurdare, superlative absurdast)
* absurd

#### Declension

$^1$ The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative. $^2$ Dated or archaic. $^3$ Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine.

#### Related terms

* absurdism
* absurditet

## Tatar
### Adjective

absurd
* Latin spelling of абсурд (absurd)