1
as in bizarre
conceived or made without regard for reason or reality
absurd claims of having been abducted by UFO's
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in silly
showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment
an absurd rule that bicycles are not allowed in the park
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in ridiculous
so foolish or pointless as to be worthy of scornful laughter
it's absurd to expect to make a killing in the stock market overnight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of absurd
Mike begins to struggle with the idea of doing something that might finally give his life (and his death) meaning, and although the film goes in absurd directions, Gavras sells it by pitching everything at the level of epic satire, his grandiose images working in tandem with moments of broad humor.
—
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 5 Feb. 2026
The sequence is also absurd, surreal, even funny in places.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 5 Feb. 2026
Reliable information about injuries, coaching decisions, and the like was hard to come by, so bettors went to absurd lengths to gain an edge on the books.
—Dan Piepenbring, New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2026
Jokić's season stats are absurd, and his impact is nearly immeasurable.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for absurd
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 5 Feb. 2026
The sequence is also absurd, surreal, even funny in places.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 5 Feb. 2026
Reliable information about injuries, coaching decisions, and the like was hard to come by, so bettors went to absurd lengths to gain an edge on the books.
—Dan Piepenbring, New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2026
Jokić's season stats are absurd, and his impact is nearly immeasurable.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for absurd
Recent Examples of Synonyms for absurd
Adjective
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Having stabilized his ship in orbit around the black hole, Dr Hans Reinhardt (a bizarre, OTT performance from Maximilian Schell) now plans to fly into it, assisted by an unquestioning crew of automatons with a very dark origin story.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
8 Feb. 2026
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That's bizarre to me, especially those two.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Don’t feel silly asking at the ski shop.—
Moira McCarthy,
Boston Herald,
11 Feb. 2026
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Walker offers this diagnosis himself, leeringly dismissing Pearl as a silly mommy, awash with hormones, mildly and minorly hysterical.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Because that's f---ing ridiculous.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Feb. 2026
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By now, Americans have gone numb to the ridiculous statements of the president of the United States.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Counting on one of the league’s most expensive talents to play meaningful minutes from here on out at his age with a track record like that is nearly as foolish as Nico trading a perennial MVP candidate at 26.—
Kevin Sherrington
Feb. 4,
Dallas Morning News,
4 Feb. 2026
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The lesson isn’t that NBA teams are reckless or foolish.—
Spencer Harrison,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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But maybe Johnson isn’t stupid.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
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Such as the one where the candidate remarked that some white rural Americans were stupid and racist.—
Mark Leibovich,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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These clowns don't even have the courage of their pathetic White supremacist convictions.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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This kind of Jim Crow–style dehumanization is pathetic and a disgrace to the office.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Getting to play Survivor once is a dream, getting to play twice and on a monumental anniversary season is unreal.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Jan. 2026
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The pressure King felt was unreal.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Last week, the wind-power green scam artists were back in federal court, arguing to be permitted to keep squandering billions more on those insane offshore windmills that produce next to no energy, but plenty of pollution.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
1 Feb. 2026
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That’s the best reaction to these stupid, insane men ruling the world now and trying to grab and dominate the world.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Absurd.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/absurd. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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