Unsinn

German

Etymology

From Middle High German unsin (“nonsense, folly”) (compare Middle High German unsinne (“ignorance, stupidity”)), equivalent to un- +‎ Sinn.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʊnzɪn/, [ˈʔʊnzɪn]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

Unsinn m (strong, genitive Unsinnes or Unsinns, no plural)

1. nonsense

   Synonyms: Schwachsinn, Blödsinn

Declension

Declension of Unsinn [sg-only, masculine, strong]

	singular
	indef.	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	Unsinn
genitive	eines	des	Unsinnes, Unsinns
dative	einem	dem	Unsinn, Unsinne1
accusative	einen	den	Unsinn

¹Now rare, see notes.

Derived terms

• unsinnig

Related terms

• Wahnsinn
• Irrsinn
• Trübsinn

See also

• Unfug
• Quatsch

Further reading

• “Unsinn” in Duden online
• “Unsinn” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache