nonsense

[non-sens, -suhns]

noun

1. words or language having little or no sense or meaning.

   Synonyms: twaddle, trumpery, trash, tommyrot, rubbish, rot, poppycock, piffle, moonshine, humbug, hooey, hokum, guff, gibberish, foolishness, folderol, flapdoodle, fiddle-faddle, drivel, bunk, bull, bosh, blether, blatherskite, blather, blarney, bilge water, bilge, baloney, balderdash

2. conduct, action, etc., that is senseless, foolish, or absurd.

   to have tolerated enough nonsense.

3. impudent, insubordinate, or otherwise objectionable behavior.

   He doesn't have to take that nonsense from you.

4. something absurd or fatuous.

   the utter nonsense of such a suggestion.

5. anything of trifling importance or of little or no use.

6. Genetics.,  a DNA sequence that does not code for an amino acid and is not transcribed (sense ).

nonsense

/ nɒnˈsɛnsɪkəl, ˈnɒnsəns /

noun

1. something that has or makes no sense; unintelligible language; drivel

2. conduct or action that is absurd

3. foolish or evasive behaviour or manners

   she'll stand no nonsense

4. See no-nonsense

5. things of little or no value or importance; trash

interjection

1. an exclamation of disagreement

nonsense

1. Relating to a mutation in a structural gene that changes a nucleotide triplet into a stop codon, thus prematurely terminating the polypeptide chain during protein synthesis.

2. See more at point mutation

Other Word Forms

• nonsensical adjective
• nonsensically adverb
• nonsensicalness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of nonsense¹

First recorded in 1605–15; non- + sense

Idioms and Phrases

see stuff and nonsense.

Example Sentences

He said any suggestion having a DNA test carried out would have ceased their stalking was "a nonsense".

Read more on BBC

That night, he “got up to all sorts of nonsense” that landed him back home in the wee hours.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

At rallies, she has highlighted her background as a former Central Intelligence Agency officer and a centrist, swearing off “political nonsense” in Washington.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

There has been a lot of nonsense about this.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

It is total and utter nonsense… the quick summary is, you’re right.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• absurdity 
• babble 
• baloney 
• bunk 
• craziness 
• drivel 
• folly 
• foolishness 
• gibberish 
• madness 
• rubbish 
• silliness 
• stupidity 
• trash