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Funny vs Absurd - What's the difference?

funny | absurd | Synonyms |

As adjectives the difference between funny and absurd

is that funny is amusing; humorous; comical while absurd is 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.

As nouns the difference between funny and absurd

is that funny is a joke while absurd is an absurdity.

funny

English

Etymology 1

From .

Adjective

(er)
  • Amusing; humorous; comical.
    • When I went to the circus, I only found the clowns funny .
  • Strange or unusual, often implying unpleasant.
    • The milk smelt funny so I poured it away.
    I've got a funny feeling that this isn't going to work.
    Synonyms
    * See also * See also
    Derived terms
    Related terms
    * fun

    Noun

    (funnies)
  • (humorous) A joke.
  • * 2014 , Brian Conaghan, When Mr. Dog Bites (page 54)
    • Everyone would be sitting on big fluffy white clouds singing songs, telling funnies and just enjoying the day.
  • (humorous) A comic strip.
  • * 2009 , R. P. Moffa, The Vaulted Sky (page 343)
    • His father was more likely to listen to the radio, although he would read the Sunday funnies , and his grandmother would only read the Italian language paper she picked up at the corner candy store.

    Etymology 2

    Perhaps a jocular use of (term). See above.

    Noun

    (funnies)
  • (British) A narrow boat for sculling.

    • absurd

    English

    Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • 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.
  • * 1591 , (William Shakespeare), , V-iv
    • This proffer is absurd and reasonless.
  • * ca. 1710 , (Alexander Pope)
    • This phrase absurd to call a villain great
  • * , chapter=17
    • , title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=“Perhaps it is because I have been excommunicated. It's absurd , but I feel like the Jackdaw of Rheims.” ¶ She winced and bowed her head. Each time that he spoke flippantly of the Church he caused her pain.}}
  • (obsolete) Inharmonious; dissonant.
  • Having no rational or orderly relationship to people's lives; meaningless; lacking order or value.
  • * (rfdate) Adults have condemned them to live in what must seem like an absurd universe. - Joseph Featherstone
  • Dealing with absurdism.

    • Usage notes

    * More and most absurd are the preferred or more common form of the comparable, as opposed to absurder and 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

    Derived terms

    * absurdly, absurdity * Absurdistan

    Noun

    (en noun) (Absurdism)
  • (obsolete) An absurdity.
  • (philosophy) 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.

    • Usage notes

    * (philosophy) Absurd is sometimes preceded by the word the .

    Derived terms

    * theatre of the absurd

    References

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