absurd
EnglishEdit
EtymologyEdit
First attested in 1557. From Middle French absurde, from Latin absurdus (“incongruous, dissonant, out of tune”),[1] from ab (“away from, out”) + surdus (“silent, deaf, dull-sounding”).[2] Compare surd.
PronunciationEdit
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /əbˈsɜːd/, /əbˈzɜːd/
- (General American) IPA(key): /æbˈsɝd/, /æbˈzɝd/, /əbˈsɝd/, /əbˈzɝd/
- (Canada) IPA(key): /æbˈzɝd/
- Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)d
Audio (US) (file)
AdjectiveEdit
absurd (comparative absurder or more absurd, superlative absurdest or most absurd)
- Contrary to reason or propriety; obviously and flatly opposed to manifest truth; inconsistent with the plain dictates of common sense; logically contradictory; nonsensical; ridiculous; silly. [from mid-16th c.][3]
- 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
- 1734, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on Man. […], epistle IV, London: Printed for J[ohn] Wilford, […], →OCLC:
- 'Tis phrase absurd to call a villain great
- 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XVII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
- “Perhaps it is because I have been excommunicated. It's absurd, but I feel like the Jackdaw of Rheims.” ¶ She winced and bowed her head. Each time that he spoke flippantly of the Church he caused her pain.
- 1979, Roger Hodgson (lyrics), “The Logical Song”, in Breakfast in America, performed by Supertramp:
- I know it sounds absurd / But please, tell me who I am
- (obsolete) Inharmonious; dissonant. [only early 17th c.][3]
- Having no rational or orderly relationship to people's lives; meaningless; lacking order or value.
- 1968 March 2, Joseph Featherstone, “A New Kind of Schooling”, in The New Republic:
- Adults have condemned them to live in what must seem like an absurd universe.
- Dealing with absurdism.
Usage notesEdit
- In the comparative and superlative degrees, the forms more absurd and most absurd are usually preferred over absurder, absurdest.
- Webster 1913 has the sole definition "Contrary to reason or propriety; obviously and flatly opposed to manifest truth; inconsistent with the plain dictates of common sense; logically contradictory; nonsensical; ridiculous; as, an absurd person, an absurd opinion; an absurd dream."
SynonymsEdit
- foolish, irrational, ridiculous, preposterous, inconsistent, incongruous, ludicrous
- See also Thesaurus:absurd
Derived termsEdit
CollocationsEdit
- absurd idea
- absurd thing
- absurd notion
- absurd story
- absurd result
- absurd consequence
- absurd practice
- absurd way
- absurd manner
- absurd figure
- absurd thought
- absurd question
- absurd situation
- absurd world
- absurd desire
TranslationsEdit
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NounEdit
absurd (plural absurds)
- (obsolete) An absurdity. [early 17th–mid 17th c.][3]
- (philosophy, often preceded by the) The opposition between the human search for meaning in life and the inability to find any; the state or condition in which man exists in an irrational universe and his life has no meaning outside of his existence. [from early 20th century in English; from mid-19th century in Danish by Kierkegaard][3][4]
Derived termsEdit
TranslationsEdit
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
ReferencesEdit
- ^ Laurence Urdang (editor), The Random House College Dictionary (Random House, 1984 [1975], →ISBN), page 7
- ^ Philip Babcock Gove (editor), Webster's Third International Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged (G. & C. Merriam Co., 1976 [1909], →ISBN), page 8
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Lesley Brown, editor-in-chief; William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, editors (2002), “absurd”, in The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 5th edition, Oxford; New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 10.
- ^ "Søren Kierkegaard" in The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Further readingEdit
- “absurd”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- “absurd”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
- absurd at OneLook Dictionary Search
- “absurd”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
- “absurd”, in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th edition, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016, →ISBN.
- “absurd”, in Collins English Dictionary.
- “absurd” (US) / “absurd” (UK) in Macmillan English Dictionary.
AnagramsEdit
CatalanEdit
EtymologyEdit
PronunciationEdit
- (Balearic) IPA(key): /əpˈsuɾt/
- (Central) IPA(key): /əpˈsurt/
- (Valencian) IPA(key): /apˈsuɾt/
- Rhymes: -uɾt
AdjectiveEdit
absurd (feminine absurda, masculine plural absurds, feminine plural absurdes)
Derived termsEdit
Related termsEdit
NounEdit
absurd m (plural absurds)
Further readingEdit
- “absurd” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
- “absurd”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2023
- “absurd” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
- “absurd” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
DanishEdit
EtymologyEdit
Borrowed from Latin absurdus (“discordant, unreasonable”).
PronunciationEdit
AdjectiveEdit
absurd (neuter absurd, plural and definite singular attributive absurde)
AdverbEdit
absurd
Derived termsEdit
DutchEdit
EtymologyEdit
Borrowed from Middle French absurde, from Latin absurdus.
PronunciationEdit
AdjectiveEdit
absurd (comparative absurder, superlative absurdst)
InflectionEdit
Inflection of absurd | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
uninflected | absurd | |||
inflected | absurde | |||
comparative | absurder | |||
positive | comparative | superlative | ||
predicative/adverbial | absurd | absurder | het absurdst het absurdste | |
indefinite | m./f. sing. | absurde | absurdere | absurdste |
n. sing. | absurd | absurder | absurdste | |
plural | absurde | absurdere | absurdste | |
definite | absurde | absurdere | absurdste | |
partitive | absurds | absurders | — |
Related termsEdit
DescendantsEdit
- → Indonesian: absurd
GermanEdit
EtymologyEdit
PronunciationEdit
AdjectiveEdit
absurd (strong nominative masculine singular absurder, comparative absurder, superlative am absurdesten)
DeclensionEdit
number & gender | singular | plural | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
masculine | feminine | neuter | |||
predicative | er ist absurd | sie ist absurd | es ist absurd | sie sind absurd | |
strong declension (without article) |
nominative | absurder | absurde | absurdes | absurde |
genitive | absurden | absurder | absurden | absurder | |
dative | absurdem | absurder | absurdem | absurden | |
accusative | absurden | absurde | absurdes | absurde | |
weak declension (with definite article) |
nominative | der absurde | die absurde | das absurde | die absurden |
genitive | des absurden | der absurden | des absurden | der absurden | |
dative | dem absurden | der absurden | dem absurden | den absurden | |
accusative | den absurden | die absurde | das absurde | die absurden | |
mixed declension (with indefinite article) |
nominative | ein absurder | eine absurde | ein absurdes | (keine) absurden |
genitive | eines absurden | einer absurden | eines absurden | (keiner) absurden | |
dative | einem absurden | einer absurden | einem absurden | (keinen) absurden | |
accusative | einen absurden | eine absurde | ein absurdes | (keine) absurden |
Related termsEdit
Further readingEdit
IndonesianEdit
EtymologyEdit
From Dutch absurd, from Middle French absurde, from Latin absurdus.
PronunciationEdit
NounEdit
absurd (superlative terabsurd)
Derived termsEdit
Further readingEdit
- “absurd” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Language Development and Fostering Agency — Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic Indonesia, 2016.
LuxembourgishEdit
EtymologyEdit
From German absurd, from Latin absurdus.
PronunciationEdit
AdjectiveEdit
absurd (masculine absurden, neuter absurd, comparative méi absurd, superlative am absurdsten)
DeclensionEdit
number and gender | singular | plural | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
masculine | feminine | neuter | all genders | ||
predicative | hien ass absurd | si ass absurd | et ass absurd | si si(nn) absurd | |
nominative / accusative |
attributive and/or after determiner | absurden | absurd | absurd | absurd |
independent without determiner | absurdes | absurder | |||
dative | after any declined word | absurden | absurder | absurden | absurden |
as first declined word | absurdem | absurdem |
Related termsEdit
Norwegian BokmålEdit
EtymologyEdit
From Latin absurdus (“incongruous, dissonant, out of tune”), from both ab- (“from, away from, off”), from Latin ab (“from, away from, on, in”), from Proto-Italic *ab, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó (“off, away”) + and from surdus (“silent, deaf, dull-sounding”), from Proto-Indo-European *swer- (“to resound; ringing, whistling”).
PronunciationEdit
- IPA(key): /abˈsʉɖ/, /abˈsʉʁd/, /apˈsʉɖ/, /apˈsʉʁd/
Audio (file) - Rhymes: -ʉɖ, -ʉʁd, -ʉrd
- Hyphenation: ab‧surd
AdjectiveEdit
absurd (neuter singular absurd, definite singular and plural absurde, comparative mer absurd, superlative mest absurd)
- absurd (contrary to reason or propriety; obviously and flatly opposed to manifest truth)
- 1882, Henrik Ibsen, En folkefiende, page 164:
- absurde traditioner
- absurd traditions
- 1907, Alexander L. Kielland, Samlede værker II (Mindeutgave), page 67:
- en saa absurd forbindelse – med en stor rødhaaret bondepige
- such an absurd connection - with a big red-haired peasant girl
- 2000, Trude Marstein, Plutselig høre noen åpne en dør, page 188:
- situasjonen er absurd, tenker jeg
- the situation is absurd, I think
- 1997, Espen Schaanning, Vitenskap som skapt viten, page 66:
- radikalt nye innfallsvinkler og synsmåter står alltid i fare for å framtre som absurde og paradoksale
- radically new approaches and views are always in danger of appearing absurd and paradoxical
- 1999, Elsbeth Wessel, Wien, page 288:
- [keiser Frans Josef] var en ensom mann, resignert, men fylt av en nesten absurd pliktfølelse
- [Emperor Francis Joseph] was a lonely man, resigned, but filled with an almost absurd sense of duty
- 2006, Lars Roar Langslet, Når fuglen letter, page 11:
- i billedkunsten er det åpenbart absurd å tale om noe fremskritt
- in the visual arts, it is obviously absurd to talk about any progress
- et absurd spørsmål
- an absurd question
- dette er jo ganske absurd
- this is quite absurd
- Synonyms: fornuftsstridig, meningsløs, irrasjonell
- (theater, literary sciences) absurdist (of or relating to absurdism)
- 1982, Torolf Elster, Thomas Pihls annen lov, page 40:
- en absurd komedie eller et absurd melodrama
- an absurd comedy or an absurd melodrama
- 1991, Åsfrid Svensen, Orden og kaos, page 326:
- i absurd litteratur mangler gjerne motsetningen mellom normalitet og fantastikk
- in absurd literature, the contrast between normality and fantastic is often lacking
- 1998, Kjetil Rolness, Elvis Presley, page 37:
- framførelsen nærmer seg grensen til absurd komikk
- the performance is approaching the limit of absurd comedy
- 1976, Leif Longum, Å lese skuespill, page 122:
- ordenes sammenbrudd, som kanskje er det viktigste fellestema ved det absurde teater
- the breakdown of words, which is perhaps the most important common theme of the absurd theater
- Synonym: absurdistisk
Derived termsEdit
ReferencesEdit
- “absurd” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
- “absurd” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).
- “absurd” in Store norske leksikon
AnagramsEdit
Norwegian NynorskEdit
EtymologyEdit
AdjectiveEdit
absurd (neuter singular absurd, definite singular and plural absurde)
Related termsEdit
ReferencesEdit
- “absurd” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
PolishEdit
Alternative formsEdit
- absurdum (obsolete)
EtymologyEdit
Learned borrowing from Latin absurdus.[1][2][3] First attested in 1564.[4]
PronunciationEdit
NounEdit
absurd m inan (diminutive absurdzik)
- absurdity, nonsense
- Synonyms: see Thesaurus:nonsens
- Jego propozycje to jeden wielki absurd. ― His suggestions are one big load of nonsense.
- (logic) absurdity
DeclensionEdit
Derived termsEdit
Related termsEdit
- absurdalizować impf
CollocationsEdit
- kompletny absurd ― complete absurdity
- totalny absurd ― total absurdity
- czysty absurd ― pure absurdity
- zupełny absurd ― utter absurdity
- biurokratyczny absurd ― bureaucratic absurdity
- piramidalny absurd ― pyramidal absurdity
- urzędniczy absurd ― bureaucratic absurdity
- oczywisty absurd ― obvious absurdity
- jawny absurd ― sheer absurdity
- całkowity absurd ― utter absurdity
- cenowy absurd ― absurdity of prices
- absolutny absurd ― absolute absurdity
- pełny absurd ― full of absurdity
- ekonomiczny absurd ― economic absurdity
- krwawy absurd ― bloody absurdity
- tragiczny absurd ― tragic absurdity
- logiczny absurd ― logical absurdity
- zwykły absurd ― sheer absurdity
- drogowy absurd ― road absurdity
- komunistyczny absurd ― communist absurdity
- śmieszny absurd ― ridiculous absurdity
- prawdziwy absurd ― real absurdity
- wielki absurd ― great absurdity
- chory absurd ― sick absurdity
- absurd prawny ― legal absurdity
- absurd gospodarczy ― economic absurdity
- granica absurdu ― borderline absurdity
- teatr absurdu ― theater of absurdity
- kraina absurdu ― land of absurdity
- spirala absurdu ― spiral of absurdity
- szczyt absurdu ― peak of absurdity
- poetyka absurdu ― poetics of absurdity
- nagromadzenie absurdu ― accumulation of absurdity
- poczucie absurdu ― sense of absurdity
- pogranicze absurdu ― borderline absurdity
- komedia absurdu ― comedy of absurdity
- wyczucie absurdu ― sense of absurdity
- poziom absurdu ― level of absurdity
- teatrzyk absurdu ― theater of absurdity
- skraj absurdu ― edge of absurdity
- dawka absurdu ― dose of absurdity
- wyżyny absurdu ― thheights of absurdity
- znamię absurdu ― mark of absurdity
- stek absurdów ― bunch of absurdities
- dramat absurdu ― drama of absurdity
- mnożenie absurdu ― multiplication of absurdity
- rekord absurdu ― record of absurdity
- piramida absurdu ― pyramid of absurdity
- sfera absurdu ― realm of absurdity
- natężenie absurdu ― intensity of absurdity
- świat absurdu ― world of absurdity
- dno absurdu ― bottom of absurdity
- humor absurdu ― humor of absurdity
- miłośnik absurdu ― lover of absurdity
- logika absurdu ― logic of absurdity
- literatura absurdu ― literature of absurdity
- atmosfera absurdu ― atmosphere of absurdity
- kraj absurdu ― land of absurdity
- przejaw absurdu ― manifestation of absurdity
- mistrz absurdu ― master of absurdity
- stopień absurdu ― degree of absurdity
- klimat absurdu ― climate of absurdity
- świątynia absurdu ― temple of absurdity
- kategoria absurdu ― category of absurdity
- konwencja absurdu ― convention of absurdity
- świadomość absurdu ― awareness of absurdity
- kino absurdu ― cinema of absurdity
- morze absurdu ― sea of absurdity
- koniec absurdu ― end of absurdity
- likwidacja absurdu ― elimination of absurdity
- księga absurdu ― book of absurdity
- obszar absurdu ― area of absurdity
- masa absurdu ― mass of absurdity
- źródło absurdu ― source of absurdity
- skala absurdu ― scale of absurdity
- duch absurdu ― spirit of absurdity
- państwo absurdu ― state of absurdity
- absurd codzienności ― absurdity of everyday life
- absurd egzystencji ― absurdity of existence
- absurd biurokracji ― absurdity of bureaucracy
- absurd komunizmu ― absurdity of communism
- absurd istnienia ― absurdity of existence
- absurd rzeczywistości ― absurdity of reality
- absurd życia ― absurdity of life
- absurd wojny ― absurdity of war
- absurd sytuacji ― absurdity of the situation
- absurd świata ― absurdity of the world
- absurd systemu ― absurdity of the system
- absurd historii ― absurdity of history
- absurd prawa ― absurdity of the law
- trącić absurdem ― to smack of absurdity
- obnażać absurd ― to expose absurdity
- tropić absurd ― to track absurdity
- sięgać/sięgnąć/osiągnąć absurdu ― to reach absurdity
- sprowadzać absurd ― to bring absurdity
- wyjaśniać absurd ― to explain the absurdity
- absurd goni ― absurdity ensues
- absurd denerwuje ― absurdity annoys
- absurd oburza ― absurdity is outrageous
- prowadzić/sprowadzać/sprowadzić do absurdu ― to reach absurdity
- graniczyć z absurdem ― to be on the edge of absurdity
ReferencesEdit
- ^ Mirosław Bańko; Lidia Wiśniakowska (2021) Wielki słownik wyrazów obcych, →ISBN
- ^ Andrzej Bańkowski (2000) Etymologiczny słownik języka polskiego (in Polish)
- ^ Witold Doroszewski, editor (1958–1969), “absurd”, in Słownik języka polskiego (in Polish), Warszawa: PWN
- ^ “absurdum”, in Słownik Polszczyzny XVI Wieku [A Dictionary of 16th Century Polish], 2010-2022
- Pęzik, Piotr; Przepiórkowski, A.; Bańko, M.; Górski, R.; Lewandowska-Tomaszczyk, B (2012) Wyszukiwarka PELCRA dla danych NKJP. Narodowy Korpus Języka Polskiego [National Polish Language Corpus, PELCRA search engine][1], Wydawnictwo PWN
Further readingEdit
- absurd in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
- absurd in Polish dictionaries at PWN
- Wiesław Morawski (02.09.2020), “ABSURD”, in Elektroniczny Słownik Języka Polskiego XVII i XVIII Wieku [Electronic Dictionary of the Polish Language of the XVII and XVIII Century]
- Aleksander Zdanowicz (1861), “absurdum”, in Słownik języka polskiego, Wilno 1861
- J. Karłowicz, A. Kryński, W. Niedźwiedzki, editors (1900), “absurd, absurdum”, in Słownik języka polskiego (in Polish), volume 1, Warsaw, page 4
RomanianEdit
EtymologyEdit
Borrowed from French absurde, Latin absurdus.
PronunciationEdit
AdjectiveEdit
absurd m or n (feminine singular absurdă, masculine plural absurzi, feminine and neuter plural absurde)
DeclensionEdit
singular | plural | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
masculine | neuter | feminine | masculine | neuter | feminine | ||
nominative/ accusative |
indefinite | absurd | absurdă | absurzi | absurde | ||
definite | absurdul | absurda | absurzii | absurdele | |||
genitive/ dative |
indefinite | absurd | absurde | absurzi | absurde | ||
definite | absurdului | absurdei | absurzilor | absurdelor |
Related termsEdit
SwedishEdit
EtymologyEdit
AdjectiveEdit
absurd (comparative absurdare, superlative absurdast)
DeclensionEdit
Inflection of absurd | |||
---|---|---|---|
Indefinite | Positive | Comparative | Superlative2 |
Common singular | absurd | absurdare | absurdast |
Neuter singular | absurt | absurdare | absurdast |
Plural | absurda | absurdare | absurdast |
Masculine plural3 | absurde | absurdare | absurdast |
Definite | Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
Masculine singular1 | absurde | absurdare | absurdaste |
All | absurda | absurdare | absurdaste |
1) Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine. 2) The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative. 3) Dated or archaic |
Related termsEdit
TatarEdit
AdjectiveEdit
absurd
- Latin spelling of абсурд (absurd)