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

Film Constellation has boarded sales on Oscar Hudson’s Straight Circle, a dark comedy on the absurdities of conflict, and revealed a first image as principal photography wraps in South Africa. —Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2025

Why such absurdity in a film about human connection? —Stuart Miller, Orange County Register, 12 Feb. 2025

That’s the subtle absurdity, besides the obvious one, of trying to kill the color with a box cutter: in a sense, red in Western culture has been offed already. —Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025

There's an absurdity to the fact that restaurants can charge over $1,000 for a single meal while millions starve to death. —Randall Colburn, EW.com, 1 Feb. 2025

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