nonsensical

adjective

Definition of nonsensicalnext
1
as in absurd
conceived or made without regard for reason or reality a nonsensical decision that didn't take account of all of the facts

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 your plan to lose weight through total starvation is completely nonsensical

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of nonsensical The 70-year-old Academy Award-winning filmmaker was filmed making nonsensical hand features behind a sign language translator introducing him to fans at a celebratory gathering being emceed by reporter Liam Crowley. — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 31 Aug. 2026 Any fan of the franchise will tell you that the full lore of the world crafted by Tetsuya Nomura is virtually nonsensical to explain to a layman. — Brian Welk, IndieWire, 19 Aug. 2026 Always chipper, always sycophantic, and completely nonsensical. — Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 19 Aug. 2026 Shraddha relished Kabita’s innocence and was amused by her constant, occasionally nonsensical, chatter. — ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026 The executive order’s charge to split the MMR vaccine dose into separate injections, given at separate appointments, is similarly nonsensical. — Jake Scott, The Conversation, 12 Aug. 2026 Their children — Graham (played at 12 by Noah Alexander Sosnowski and later at 17 by Gabriel Barbosa) and Ruth (played at 8 by Riley Chung and 13 by Emma Ho) — are at turns grating, nonsensical, and ill-defined like everything else in the film. — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2026 Having negotiated an extraordinary package — ending sanctions, unfreezing assets and establishing a $300 billion reparation fund — Iran made the seemingly nonsensical decision to pick a fight instead. — Matthew Gould, Washington Post, 24 July 2026 None that were picked were direct questions about the stadium process, and two were nonsensical. — Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 17 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonsensical
  1. absurd
  2. silly
  3. bizarre
  4. stupid
  5. foolish
  6. insane
  7. unreal
  8. crazy
Adjective
  • The Appalachian Trail is absolutely brutal The distance alone is obviously absurd, but mileage is only part of what makes the AT such a beast.
    — Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The selection process does not judge whether a study is admirable or absurd, good or bad.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of absurd
Adjective
  • Playing the part largely for laughs, Moore actually has more in common with Lazenby than Connery; his Bond is softer and sillier than the original, an approach Moore would double down on in later films — often to the chagrin of Bond purists.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 3 Sep. 2026
  • For Lance Oppenheim, Primetime’s DNA resides inside a silly Cameo video.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of silly
Adjective
  • The idea that these two would have a five-minute-or-less breakup conversation, then plop down on the couch and happily embark on an acid trip together, strains credulity a little, even for this bizarre, codependent friend group.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Twenty-eight million views on YouTube certified the bizarre piece as a fan favorite.
    — Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of bizarre
Adjective
  • Far too much coverage of declining trust in science — particularly the anti-vaccine movement — is predicated on the assumption that its adherents are either stupid or crazy.
    — Rick Berke, STAT, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The Dodge Durango Hellcat is the most accessible way to go stupid-fast in a three-row family car thanks to the Escalade V‘s high price tag.
    — Byron Hurd, The Drive, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of stupid
Adjective
  • When his splitter is at its best, Cruz makes opposing hitters look foolish.
    — Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • But Americans would be foolish to think that Washington is anywhere near solving this problem.
    — Doug Beck, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of foolish
Adjective
  • Darby hit an insane Coffin Drop from a lighting rig, through the stage on Knight.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • That base price of about $5,000 may sound insane to the average person but likely won’t hurt the pockets of the average Lamborghini customer.
    — Keenan Thompson, Freep.com, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of insane
Adjective
  • Similarly, for the protagonist of Conrad’s story, Captain Whalley, the true life is the life of ships, and changes of fates onshore seem only laterally relevant, near unreal.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Continue reading … DEFYING GRAVITY — MLB outfielder goes full Spider-Man, makes baseball's catch of the year with unreal grab.
    — , FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of unreal
Adjective
  • And there is baseball left to be played and this is a crazy game.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Unfortunately, very little on this project coheres in any meaningful or crazy sniffable way.
    — Christopher R. Weingarten, Pitchfork, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of crazy

Browse Nearby Words

nonsense
nonsensical
nonsensicalness
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Cite this Entry

“Nonsensical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonsensical. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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