nonsense synonyms and antonyms | FreeDict Thesaurus

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

balls bull Greek stuff

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

rubbish blah bunk fudge garbage gossip hoax junk manure rot trash

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

all my eye all my eye and Betty Martin applesauce bafflegab balderdash baloney banana oil Bandini batcrap baragouin bilgewater blather blatherskite bobbins bosh BS bullcrap bulldust bull feathers bullspeak bunkum bushwah clamjamfrey claptrap cobblers codswallop crock double Dutch double talk doublespeak dribble drivel eyewash fiddle-faddle flapdoodle flim-flam flizz flummery folderol foolishness framis footle galimatias Gallophone garble gibber gobbledygook gibberish guff gup hocus-pocus hogwash hokum hooey horse cock horsefeathers horse hockey horse puckey humbug Irish bull jabberwocky jabber jargon jibber-jabber jimjam jive lallation malarkey macaroni meaninglessness moonshine mumbo jumbo nertz pie in the sky piffle pigswill prattle poppycock put-on rhubarb rhubarb rhubarb rigmarole ruse santorum skimble-skamble squit stuff and nonsense tommy-rot trittle trattle tush twaddle tripe wass whiff-whaff word salad

How to use nonsense

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

talk nonsense a load of nonsense nonsense verse

Etymology

From non- ("no, not") plus sense, coined around the 1610s.

Full origin of nonsense →

Frequently asked questions

What does “nonsense” mean?

The word “nonsense” means words, ideas, or behavior that make no sense or have no logical meaning. In plain terms, something that's silly, illogical, or simply untrue.

How do you pronounce “nonsense”?

“Nonsense” is pronounced NON-suhns (/ˈnɑn.sɛns/ in IPA).

How do you use “nonsense” in a sentence?

Here is “nonsense” used in a sentence: “He was talking complete nonsense after staying up all night.”

What is another word for “nonsense”?

Words with a similar meaning to “nonsense” include all my eye, all my eye and Betty Martin, applesauce, bafflegab, balderdash and balls.

What part of speech is “nonsense”?

“Nonsense” is a noun.

Where does the word “nonsense” come from?

The word “nonsense” dates back to around 1610. From non- ("no, not") plus sense, coined around the 1610s.

Is “nonsense” a common word?

“Nonsense” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

How many meanings does “nonsense” have?

“Nonsense” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: words, ideas, or behavior that make no sense or have no logical meaning.

What is the difference between 'nonsense' and 'gibberish'?

'Nonsense' is language, ideas, or behavior that has no logical meaning or makes no sense. 'Gibberish' more specifically means speech or writing that is unintelligible, sounding like meaningless strings of words or sounds.

Is 'nonsense' countable or uncountable?

'Nonsense' is normally an uncountable noun, so you say 'that is nonsense,' not 'a nonsense.' In some informal British usage 'a nonsense' does appear, as in 'it made a nonsense of the plan,' but the uncountable form is standard.

What is the difference between 'nonsense' and 'rubbish'?

Both can mean foolish or meaningless talk, as in 'that's nonsense' or 'that's rubbish.' The difference is that 'rubbish,' chiefly British, can also mean literal trash, while 'nonsense' refers only to a lack of sense or meaning.

What is nonsense literature?

Nonsense literature is a playful, absurd style of writing or poetry that deliberately defies logic and ordinary meaning. It often uses invented words, silly situations, and wordplay for comic or whimsical effect, as in limericks and nonsense verse.

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stuff Greek balls bull trash garbage junk blah gossip rubbish rot hoax