absurd — completely unreasonable, illogical, or inappropriate
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: completely unreasonable, illogical, or inappropriate
Pronunciation (IPA): /æbˈsɜːrd/
Example Sentences
- My teacher's excuse for being late was absurd - he claimed his car was kidnapped by aliens.
- It would be absurd to study for the exam by reading comic books.
- The prices at that restaurant are absolutely absurd - $100 for a sandwich!
absurd
ADJECTIVE[/æbˈsɜːrd/]
completely unreasonable, illogical, or inappropriate

The businessman aggressively rowed his boat across the dry desert sand, a completely absurd attempt to travel.

AB(away from) + SURD(sense/reason) — an absurd idea is when someone physically throws away all common sense out the window.

Pointing at the microscopic roasted bird served for his third course, the furious customer aggressively slammed the table, screaming at the completely absurd portion size.
Got the picture? Now let's practice.
🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Latin 'absurdus', meaning 'out of tune' or 'discordant'. It combines the prefix 'ab-' (away from) with 'surdus' (deaf, dull-sounding), originally used in music to describe sounds that were harsh or inappropriate.
Breakdown
ab- (away from) + surd (deaf/dull) = absurd (away from sense/logic)
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My teacher's excuse for being late was absurd - he claimed his car was kidnapped by aliens.”
“It would be absurd to study for the exam by reading comic books.”
“The prices at that restaurant are absolutely absurd - $100 for a sandwich!”
“He made an absurd suggestion to solve traffic problems by teaching cars how to fly.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related
Want to master 19,000+ words?
Sign up free for flashcards & quizzes.