different between absurd vs simple

English

Etymology

First attested in 1557. From Middle French absurde, from Latin absurdus (“incongruous, dissonant, out of tune”), from ab (“away from, out”) + surdus (“silent, deaf, dull-sounding”). Compare surd.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?b?z??d/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?b?s??d/
• (US) IPA^(key): /æb?s?d/, /æb?z?d/, /?b?s?d/, /?b?z?d/
• (Canada) IPA^(key): /æb?z?d/
• Rhymes: -??(r)d

Adjective

absurd (comparative absurder or more absurd, superlative absurdest or most absurd)

1. 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. [First attested in the mid 16^th century.]
   • 1591, William Shakespeare, Henry VI, Part I, V-iv

     This proffer is absurd and reasonless.

   • ca. 1710, Alexander Pope

     This phrase absurd to call a villain great
2. (obsolete) Inharmonious; dissonant. [Attested only in the early 17^th century.]
3. Having no rational or orderly relationship to people's lives; meaningless; lacking order or value.
4. Dealing with absurdism.

Usage notes

• In the comparative and superlative degrees, the forms more absurd and most absurd are usually preferred over absurder, absurdest.
• Among the synonyms:
  • Irrational is the weakest, denoting that which is plainly inconsistent with the dictates of sound reason; as, an irrational course of life.
  • Foolish rises higher, and implies either a perversion of that faculty, or an absolute weakness or fatuity of mind; as, foolish enterprises.
  • Absurd rises still higher, denoting that which is plainly opposed to received notions of propriety and truth; as, an absurd man, project, opinion, story, argument, etc.
  • Preposterous rises still higher, and supposes an absolute inversion in the order of things; or, in plain terms, a "putting of the cart before the horse;" as, a preposterous suggestion, preposterous conduct, a preposterous regulation or law.

Synonyms

• foolish, irrational, ridiculous, preposterous, inconsistent, incongruous, ludicrous
• See also Thesaurus:absurd

Derived terms

• absurdly, absurdity
• Absurdistan

Translations

Noun

absurd (plural absurds)

1. (obsolete) An absurdity. [Attested from the early 17^th century until the mid 17^th century.]
2. (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. [First attested in English in the early 20^th century and first used in the mid-19^th century in Danish by Kierkegaard.]

Derived terms

• Theatre of the Absurd

Translations

References

Further reading

• absurd in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• absurd in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• Brauds, Burdas

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin absurdus.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic) IPA^(key): /?p?su?t/
• (Central) IPA^(key): /?p?surt/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /ap?su?t/

Adjective

absurd (feminine absurda, masculine plural absurds, feminine plural absurdes)

1. absurd

Derived terms

• absurdament

Related terms

• absurditat
• sord

Noun

absurd m (plural absurds)

1. absurdity

Further reading

• “absurd” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “absurd” in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana.
• “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.

Danish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin absurdus (“discordant, unreasonable”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /absurd/, [?b?su???d?]

Adjective

absurd (neuter absurd, plural and definite singular attributive absurde)

1. absurd

Adverb

absurd

1. absurdly

Derived terms

• absurditet

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French absurde, from Latin absurdus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?p?s?rt/
• Hyphenation: ab?surd
• Rhymes: -?rt

Adjective

absurd (comparative absurder, superlative absurdst)

1. absurd

Inflection

Related terms

• absurdisme
• absurditeit

German

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin absurdus.

Pronunciation

Adjective

absurd (comparative absurder, superlative am absurdesten)

1. absurd

Declension

Related terms

• Absurdismus
• Absurdität

Further reading

• “absurd” in Duden online

Luxembourgish

Etymology

From German absurd, from Latin absurdus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?p?zu?t/, [?p?zu?t]

Adjective

absurd (masculine absurden, neuter absurd, comparative méi absurd, superlative am absurdsten)

1. absurd

Declension

Related terms

• Absurditéit

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Latin absurdus (“incongruous, dissonant, out of tune”), from ab (“away from, out”) + surdus (“silent, deaf, dull-sounding”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ab?s??/, /ab?s??d/, /ap?s??/, /ap?s??d/
• Rhymes: -??, -??d
• Hyphenation: ab?surd

Adjective

absurd (neuter singular absurd, definite singular and plural absurde, comparative mer absurd, superlative mest absurd)

1. absurd (contrary to reason or propriety; obviously and flatly opposed to manifest truth)

   Synonyms: fornuftsstridig, meningsløs, irrasjonell

2. (theater, literary sciences) absurdist (of or relating to absurdism)

   Synonym: absurdistisk

Derived terms

References

• “absurd” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
• “absurd” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).
• “absurd” in Store norske leksikon

Anagrams

• bardus

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin absurdus.

Adjective

absurd (neuter singular absurd, definite singular and plural absurde)

1. absurd

Related terms

• absurditet

References

• “absurd” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Polish

Etymology

From Latin absurdus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?ap.surt/

Noun

absurd m inan (diminutive absurdzik)

1. nonsense

   Synonym: nonsens

   Jego propozycje to jeden wielki absurd.

   His suggestions are one big load of nonsense.

2. (logic) absurdity

Declension

Derived terms

• (verb) absurdalizowa?
• (nouns) absurdalno??, absurdalista, absurdalizacja
• (adjective) absurdalny
• (adverb) absurdalnie

Further reading

• absurd in Wielki s?ownik j?zyka polskiego, Instytut J?zyka Polskiego PAN
• absurd in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French absurde, Latin absurdus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ab?surd/

Adjective

absurd m or n (feminine singular absurd?, masculine plural absurzi, feminine and neuter plural absurde)

1. absurd

Declension

Related terms

• absurditate

Swedish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin absurdus.

Adjective

absurd

1. absurd

Declension

Related terms

• absurdism
• absurditet

Tatar

Adjective

absurd

1. Latin spelling of ?????? (absurd)

English

Etymology

From Middle English symple, simple, from Old French and French simple, from Latin simplex (“simple”, literally “onefold”) (as opposed to duplex (“double”, literally “twofold”)), from semel (“the same”) + plic? (“I fold”). See same and fold. Compare single, singular, simultaneous, etc.

Partially displaced native English onefold.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?s?mp?l/
• Rhymes: -?mp?l
• Hyphenation: sim?ple

Adjective

simple (comparative simpler or more simple, superlative simplest or most simple)

1. Uncomplicated; taken by itself, with nothing added.
   • 2001, Sydney I. Landau, Dictionaries: The Art and Craft of Lexicography, Cambridge University Press ?ISBN, page 167,

     There is no simple way to define precisely a complex arrangement of parts, however homely the object may appear to be.

2. Without ornamentation; plain.
3. Free from duplicity; guileless, innocent, straightforward.
   • 1605, John Marston, The Dutch Courtesan

     Full many fine men go upon my score, as simple as I stand here, and I trust them.

   • 1838, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Literary Ethics - an Oration delivered before the Literary Societies of Dartmouth College, July 24, 1838

     To be simple is to be great.

4. Undistinguished in social condition; of no special rank.

   Antonym: gentle

5. (now rare) Trivial; insignificant.
   • 1485, Thomas Malory, Le Morte d'Arthur, Book X:

     ‘That was a symple cause,’ seyde Sir Trystram, ‘for to sle a good knyght for seyynge well by his maystir.’

6. (now colloquial) Feeble-minded; foolish.
7. (heading, technical) Structurally uncomplicated.
   1. (chemistry, pharmacology) Consisting of one single substance; uncompounded.
   2. (mathematics) Of a group: having no normal subgroup.
   3. (botany) Not compound, but possibly lobed.
   4. (of a steam engine) Using steam only once in its cylinders, in contrast to a compound engine, where steam is used more than once in high-pressure and low-pressure cylinders.
      • 1959, Steam's Finest Hour, edited by David P. Morgan, Kalmbach Publishing Co., page 6:

   5. (zoology) Consisting of a single individual or zooid; not compound.

   6. (mineralogy) Homogenous.
8. (obsolete) Mere; not other than; being only.

Synonyms

• (consisting of a single part or aspect): onefold
• (having few parts or features): plain
• See also Thesaurus:easy and Thesaurus:bare-bones

Antonyms

• (having few parts or features): complex, compound, complicated
• (uncomplicated): subtle

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

simple (plural simples)

1. (pharmacology) A herbal preparation made from one plant, as opposed to something made from more than one plant.
   • 2003, Dolores Stewart Riccio, Charmed Circle, Kensington Books (?ISBN), page 12:

     The venerable carryall, formerly brimming with all manner of esoteric pamphlets and witch's simples, now overflowed with a cascade of soft toys, juice bottles, tissues, linen books for infants, […]

2. (obsolete, by extension) A physician.
3. (logic) A simple or atomic proposition.
4. (obsolete) Something not mixed or compounded.
5. (weaving) A drawloom.
6. (weaving) Part of the apparatus for raising the heddles of a drawloom.
7. (Roman Catholicism) A feast which is not a double or a semidouble.

Translations

Verb

simple (third-person singular simple present simples, present participle simpling, simple past and past participle simpled)

1. (transitive, intransitive, archaic) To gather simples, i.e. medicinal herbs.

Derived terms

• simpler
• simplist
• simplify

Anagrams

• LEMSIP, impels

Asturian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin simplex.

Adjective

simple (epicene, plural simples)

1. simple (uncomplicated)

Synonyms

• cenciellu

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin simplex.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Central) IPA^(key): /?sim.pl?/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /?sim.ple/

Adjective

simple (masculine and feminine plural simples)

1. simple (uncomplicated)

   Synonym: senzill

2. single (not divided into parts)

Derived terms

• fulla simple (“simple leaf”)
• simplement (“simply”)

Related terms

• símplex (“simplex”)
• simplicitat (“simplicity”)
• ximple

Further reading

• “simple” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “simple” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
• “simple” in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana.

Chavacano

Etymology

From Spanish simple (“simple”).

Adjective

simple

1. simple

Esperanto

Etymology

From simpla +? -e.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?simple/
• Hyphenation: sim?ple

Adverb

simple

1. simply

French

Etymology

From Old French, borrowed from Latin simplex.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /s??pl/

Adjective

simple (plural simples)

1. single (multiplier)

2. simple

3. one-way

4. mere

Usage notes

The second and third meanings are taken when the adjective is placed after the noun. The fourth meaning is taken when it is located before the noun.

Derived terms

Descendants

• ? Romanian: simplu

Noun

simple m (plural simples)

1. one-way ticket
2. (baseball) single

Related terms

Further reading

• “simple” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• emplis

Galician

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin simplex. Displaced Old Portuguese simplez.

Adjective

simple m or f (plural simples)

1. simple

German

Adjective

simple

1. inflection of simpel:
   1. strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
   2. strong nominative/accusative plural
   3. weak nominative all-gender singular
   4. weak accusative feminine/neuter singular

Latin

Adjective

simple

1. vocative masculine singular of simplus

Middle English

Adjective

simple

1. Alternative form of symple

Noun

simple

1. Alternative form of symple

Norwegian Bokmål

Adjective

simple

1. definite singular of simpel
2. plural of simpel

Norwegian Nynorsk

Adjective

simple

1. definite singular of simpel
2. plural of simpel

Old French

Alternative forms

• sinple

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin simplex.

Adjective

simple m (oblique and nominative feminine singular simple)

1. innocent
2. mere; simple
3. honest; without pretense
4. peasant, pauper (attributive)

Descendants

• French: simple
  • ? Romanian: simplu
• ? Middle English: symple, simple
  • Scots: semple
  • English: simple

Romanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [?sim.ple]

Adjective

simple

1. feminine/neuter plural nominative/accusative of simplu

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin simplex.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?simple/, [?s?m.ple]

Adjective

simple (plural simples)

1. simple (uncomplicated)

   Synonym: sencillo

   Antonym: complejo

2. (before the noun) mere, ordinary

   Synonym: mero

3. simple, single (not divided into parts)

   Antonym: compuesto

4. simple-minded, stupid
5. insipid, flavorless

   Synonym: soso

6. (grammar) simple

Usage notes

A way to think of the difference between simple and sencillo, which both mean "simple" in English, is that the antonym of simple is complejo (“complex”), whereas the antonym of sencillo is complicado (“complicated”).

Derived terms

Descendants

• Chavacano: simple

Noun

simple m or f (plural simples)

1. simpleton, fool
2. (pharmacology, masculine only) simple

See also

• más simple que el mecanismo de un botijo

Further reading

• “simple” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.

Swedish

Adjective

simple

1. absolute definite natural masculine form of simpel.

Anagrams

• simpel

Tagalog

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish simple.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?simpl?/

Adjective

símple

1. simple; plain

   Synonyms: payak, yano, liso