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Est. 1828
Dictionary Definition
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NONSENSE

1 of 2


NOUN

non· sense ˌnän-ˌsen(t)s How to pronounce nonsense (audio)
ˈnän(t)-sən(t)s

Synonyms of nonsensenext
1
a
: words or language having no meaning or conveying no intelligible ideas
"And the mome raths outgrabe" is pure nonsense.

b(1)
: language, conduct, or an idea that is absurd or contrary to good sense
To regard the struggle for existence as tragic, however, is logical nonsense.—
O. B. Hardison, Jr.

(2)
: an instance of absurd action
Today's teenagers are … sharp observers of the nonsenses of adult life and
society …— Bernard Trafford


2
a
: things of no importance or value : trifles
the raincoats are classic, without any nonsense— New Yorker

b
: affected or impudent conduct
took no nonsense from subordinates

The teacher tolerated no nonsense in her classroom.


3
: genetic information consisting of one or more codons that do not code for any
amino acid and usually cause termination of the molecular chain in protein
synthesis (see synthesis sense 1)

nonsensical
ˌnän-ˈsen(t)-si-kəl How to pronounce nonsense (audio)
adjective
nonsensically
ˌnän-ˈsen(t)-si-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce nonsense (audio)
adverb
nonsensicalness
ˌnän-ˈsen(t)-si-kəl-nəs How to pronounce nonsense (audio)
noun

nonsense

2 of 2


ADJECTIVE

1
: consisting of an arbitrary grouping of speech sounds or symbols
\ˈshrȯg-ˌthī-əmpth\ is a nonsense word

a nonsense syllable


2
: consisting of one or more codons that are genetic nonsense compare antisense,
missense




SYNONYMS

Noun

   
 * applesauce [slang]
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * balderdash
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * baloney
   
   
   
   
 * boloney
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * beans
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * bilge
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * blah
   
   
   
   
 * blah-blah
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * blarney
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * blather
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * blatherskite
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * blither
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * bosh
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * bull [slang]
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * bunk
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * bunkum
   
   
   
   
 * buncombe
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * claptrap
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * codswallop [British]
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * crapola [slang]
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * crock
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * drivel
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * drool
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * fiddle
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * fiddle-faddle
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * fiddlesticks
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * flannel [British]
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * flapdoodle
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * folderol
   
   
   
   
 * falderal
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * folly
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * foolishness
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * fudge
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * garbage
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * guff
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * hogwash
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * hokeypokey
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * hokum
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * hoodoo
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * hooey
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * horsefeathers [slang]
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * humbug
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * humbuggery
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * jazz
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * malarkey
   
   
   
   
 * malarky
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * moonshine
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * muck
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * nerts [slang]
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * nuts
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * piffle
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * poppycock
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * punk
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * rot
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * rubbish
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * senselessness
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * silliness
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * slush
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * stupidity
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * taradiddle
   
   
   
   
 * tarradiddle
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * tommyrot
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * tosh
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * trash
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * trumpery
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * twaddle
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 


EXAMPLES OF NONSENSE IN A SENTENCE

Noun I don't know why you believe that nonsense about certain numbers being
unlucky. She thinks that astrology is nonsense. Don't listen to him. He's
talking nonsense.
He was not in the mood to put up with any nonsense from his little brother. If
they start pushing each other or some such nonsense, send them to their rooms.
She doesn't take any nonsense from anyone. Many of the words in the poem are
nonsense. I understood so few of the words they were using that the conversation
sounded like nonsense to me.
See More

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The researchers also discovered nonsense words could lead generative AIs to
produce not-safe-for-work (NSFW) images. — IEEE Spectrum, 20 Nov. 2023 Streisand
often seems just about to swerve into nonsense, then steers herself back to the
point. — Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 14 Nov. 2023
The songs were catchy by design, even if the lyrics were irrelevant to the
artist or, in some cases, nonsense. — Chris Stover, CBS News, 13 Nov. 2023
Please stop this nonsense which seems to be a specialty of Christian who should
live up to his namesake. — Christian Schneider, National Review, 2 Nov. 2023
Images: Bloomberg News/Getty Images Composite: Mark Kelly The nonsense on
college campuses that is grabbing headlines deserves to be called out. — Jason
L. Riley, WSJ, 24 Oct. 2023 This column represents my opinion, alone—but in my
opinion, Fain isn’t having it; his rhetoric shows how to disregard the nonsense
and address the real challenges for the auto industry. — Liza Featherstone, The
New Republic, 3 Nov. 2023 After a torrent of complaints that the bot made up
historical events and spewed other nonsense, Meta removed it from the internet.
— Cade Metz, New York Times, 25 Sep. 2023 That Hollywood creation is mere
paper-thin pleasure, a nonsense candy corn of a thing that barely features any
surprise, idiosyncrasy, or respect for the viewer. — Keep Mario Weird, Vulture,
30 Oct. 2023
Adjective
Loretta’s bodice rippers are nonsense. — Amy Nicholson, WSJ, 24 Mar. 2022 The
ragtag squad includes a non-nonsense barbarian (Michelle Rodriguez), an insecure
fledgling sorcerer (Justice Smith), a shapeshifting druid (Sophia Lillis), and a
solemn, unflappable paladin (Regé-Jean Page). — A.a. Dowd, Chron, 11 Mar. 2023
This word is overused and seemingly nonsense, especially when there's no
sincerity and the answer isn’t backed up with the importance of your role. —
Expert Panel, Forbes, 18 July 2022 People take these non-drugs, spending
billions -- billions -- of dollars on what is provably nonsense. — Phil Plait,
Discover Magazine, 5 Feb. 2011 Researchers delighted in getting Galactica to
write nonsense academic papers and posting the results on Twitter. — Jeremy
Kahn, Fortune, 22 Nov. 2022 The Newsom administration asserts that speculation
about production rollbacks and gas shortages is nonsense. — George Skelton, Los
Angeles Times, 8 Dec. 2022 Charms might use nonsense words for the same effect.
— John Last, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Oct. 2022 The idea that, under the
leadership of the reassuringly dull Keir Starmer, Labour can be trusted is
nonsense, as, incidentally, is the notion that the Tories would be improved by a
period in the wilderness. — The Editors, National Review, 21 Oct. 2022
See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to
illustrate current usage of the word 'nonsense.' Any opinions expressed in the
examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us
feedback about these examples.




WORD HISTORY

First Known Use

Noun

1612, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

circa 1670, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of nonsense was in 1612
See more words from the same year


PHRASES CONTAINING NONSENSE

 * a lot of garbage/nonsense
 * no-nonsense
 * nonsense verse
 * make (a) nonsense of

 * a lot of garbage/nonsense
 * no-nonsense
 * nonsense verse
 * make (a) nonsense of


ARTICLES RELATED TO NONSENSE

A Thoughtful Guide to Words About...

Meshuggaas, Codswallop & More

Making Sense of 'Word Salad'

It describes the disordered speech of the mentally ill—but now it's also being
used to describe political speeches




DICTIONARY ENTRIES NEAR NONSENSE

nonsensational

nonsense

nonsense verse

See More Nearby Entries 


CITE THIS ENTRY

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“Nonsense.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonsense. Accessed 27 Nov. 2023.

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KIDS DEFINITION

nonsense

noun
non· sense
ˈnän-ˌsen(t)s,
ˈnän(t)-sən(t)s
1
: foolish or meaningless words or actions

2
: things of no importance or value

nonsensical
(ˈ)nän-ˈsen(t)-si-kəl
adjective
nonsensically
-k(ə-)lē
adverb
nonsensicalness
-kəl-nəs
noun



MEDICAL DEFINITION

nonsense

1 of 2 noun
non· sense ˈnän-ˌsen(t)s, ˈnän(t)-sən(t)s How to pronounce nonsense (audio)
: genetic information consisting of one or more codons that do not code for any
amino acid and usually cause termination of the molecular chain in protein
synthesis compare antisense, missense

nonsense

2 of 2 adjective
: consisting of one or more codons that are genetic nonsense
nonsense mutations



MORE FROM MERRIAM-WEBSTER ON NONSENSE

Nglish: Translation of nonsense for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of nonsense for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: 27 Nov 2023 - Updated example sentences
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