absurdity

noun

ab·​sur·​di·​ty əb-ˈsər-də-tē  -ˈzər- 

plural absurdities

1

: the quality or state of being absurd : absurdness

They laughed at the absurdity of the situation.

2

: something that is absurd

the absurdities of life

Synonyms

• asininity
• bêtise
• fatuity
• folly
• foolery
• foppery
• idiocy
• imbecility
• inanity
• insanity
• lunacy
• stupidity

Examples of absurdity in a Sentence

to say men can't cook as well as women is of course an absurdity

the absurdity of expecting a 98-year-old woman to adequately supervise four six-year-olds

Recent Examples on the Web

Esposito at least tries to have fun with some of Cicero’s malevolence, and Plaza tries vainly to strike an over-the-top tone that leans into the story's absurdity. —EW.com, 12 Sep. 2024

What follows is maybe the single funniest drug-trip sequence ever filmed, and — for reasons that are best left ambiguous — a textbook example of this movie’s exceedingly careful relationship with absurdity. —David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2024

The iconic imagery and absurdity associated with gooners all make great fodder for memes and internet slang, prompting many people to ask: Is anyone actually gooning? —Quispe López, Them, 5 Sep. 2024

Harris was able to reckon with the darker elements of a Trump presidency while also seizing on the fundamental absurdity of Trump as a candidate—usually with her expressions and body language. —Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 11 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English absurditee "dissonance, unjust practice," borrowed from Middle French or Late Latin; Middle French absurdité, borrowed from Late Latin absurditāt-, absurditās, from Latin absurdus absurd entry 1 + -itāt-, -itās -ity

First Known Use

circa 1525, in the meaning defined at sense 2