Synonyms

nonsensical

American

[non-sen-si-kuhl] / nɒnˈsɛn sɪ kəl /

adjective

(of words or language) having little or no meaning; making little or no sense.

A baby's babbling is appealingly nonsensical.
(of behavior, conduct, actions, etc.) foolish, senseless, fatuous, or absurd.

His nonsensical behavior was unusual for such a serious person.
objectionable, impudent, insubordinate.

I refuse to listen to that nonsensical gossip.
of trifling importance or of little or no use.

I've had more than enough of your nonsensical advice!

Other Word Forms

nonsensicality noun
nonsensically adverb
nonsensicalness noun

Etymology

Origin of nonsensical

nonsense + -ical

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He also said he criticised Russia in his speech and said the notion he was doing what Russia wanted was "provably nonsensical."

From BBC

Its protagonist is a hapless writer who nonsensically gets caught up in secret-agent intrigue.

From The Wall Street Journal

"I find the very suggestion that when I'm criticising Russia, that somehow I'll be in any way reacting to something Russia would have wanted me to do... it's provably nonsensical," Arnott told the BBC.

From BBC

Still, I’m going to lean into the nonsensical here and say that Herbert has a big game at home against a pair of vulnerable corners, and the Chargers win by a field goal.

From Los Angeles Times

Many correlations are highly significant from a statistical perspective but which are nevertheless nonsensical.

From MarketWatch

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023