noun

absurdity

ub-SER-duh-tee/əbˈsɜːrdəti/

The quality or an instance of being ridiculous or wildly unreasonable.

The rain pouring through his colander hat reveals the absurdity of his solution.

An older man uses an upside-down kitchen colander as a rain hat: rain streams through its holes onto his face while a nearby woman stays dry beneath an ordinary umbrella and looks at him in disbelief.

Etymology

abLatinaway; perhaps adds emphasis here

+surdLatindull, deaf, mute

+ityLatinstate or quality

Ab- and surdus formed an adjective meaning “out of tune” or “senseless,” though the prefix may be intensive. The noun ending names that condition: Latin “dissonance” or “incongruity” corresponds to the quality or instance of unreasonableness.

In context

Storytime Haven335:13

He proved to be made of glass and shivered into splinters all over the floor. She woke with a cry of horror—a gasp of relief—a short laugh over the absurdity of her dream

📖 The Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery | A Tale of Love & Freedom 💙✨

More examples

The comedian exposes the absurdities of office life.
He laughed at the sheer absurdity of the demand.
The argument collapses under its own absurdity.

Forms

absurdity · absurdities

Similar words

nonsense: Names meaningless or unreasonable content rather than its quality.
folly: Emphasizes poor judgment that may have serious consequences.