nonsense

nonsense — noun

1. Written or spoken ideas, or behaviour, that are foolish, have no basis in truth,

1.nounA2
Definition

Written or spoken ideas, or behaviour, that are foolish, have no basis in truth, or show no reasonable judgement — for example, repeating a claim that has been proved false, or acting in a way that ignores basic rules.

Example

Defne knew the story about the ghost was nonsense because she saw the truth herself.

be + nonsense (predicate position)

The science teacher explained that most online miracle cures are pure nonsense.

collocation: pure nonsense / absolute nonsense

Common collocations
  • absolute nonsense
  • complete nonsense
  • pure nonsense
  • total nonsense
  • talk nonsense
  • speak nonsense
  • a load of nonsense
  • a lot of nonsense
  • stop the nonsense
  • no more nonsense
Synonyms
  • rubbish

    Especially British English; covers similar ground but also applies to things of poor quality, not just foolish ideas

  • garbage

    Especially American English; similar range to rubbish, often more dismissive

  • baloney

    Informal; specifically describes exaggerated or dishonest claims rather than general foolishness

Antonyms
  • sense

    Reasonable or practical judgement — the opposite of foolishness

  • wisdom

    Knowledge and good judgement gained through experience

Grammar Patterns

nonsense (uncountable)

Usage Note

Frequently used with adjectives such as absolute, complete, pure, and total for added emphasis. Also common in the informal British fixed phrases a load of nonsense and a lot of nonsense.

Common Mistakes

The rumour is a nonsense.
The rumour is nonsense.
Nonsense is uncountable in this sense; do not use a before it.
That's a nonsense plan.
That's a silly plan.
Nonsense is not an adjective in this sense; use a different word before a countable noun, or rephrase to 'That plan is nonsense.'

2. Speech or writing that has no recognisable meaning because the words, though the

2.nounB2
Definition

Speech or writing that has no recognisable meaning because the words, though they may look or sound like a real language, do not form any logical or understandable message.

Example

When baby Lakan started babbling, his grandmother smiled and called it lovely nonsense.

babble / babbling → lovely nonsense

The computer screen showed a stream of nonsense characters after the virus hit.

Common collocations
  • speak nonsense
  • talk nonsense
  • sound like nonsense
  • complete nonsense
Synonyms
  • gibberish

    More specific to spoken language that sounds like real speech but carries no meaning; feels more vivid than nonsense

  • babble

    Describes continuous, confused sounds, especially from a baby or someone who is very confused

Antonyms
  • meaning

    The clear message or significance that language is intended to convey

Grammar Patterns

nonsense (uncountable)

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1 (SILLY IDEAS): in this sense the words are not false but simply convey no information — they cannot be understood at all. The phrase make a nonsense of (see idioms) is related to this sense but is used more broadly to mean 'spoil completely'.

Common Mistakes

He spoke nonsense words.
He spoke nonsense.
When referring to meaningless language, nonsense alone is sufficient. Nonsense words (see adjective sense) refers to deliberately invented terms in a poem or experiment.
Idioms

make a nonsense of

idiom

To ruin something completely or cause it to lose its value or purpose.

The sudden storm made a nonsense of their plans for an outdoor wedding reception.

The referee's mistaken decision made a nonsense of the entire match.

no-nonsense

idiom

Describes a person, thing, or approach that is direct, practical, and avoids anything unnecessary or fancy.

Élise's no-nonsense approach to budgeting saved the company thousands of dollars.

The hotel had a no-nonsense style with clean rooms and fair prices.

make (a) nonsense of something

idiom

To greatly reduce the value or effectiveness of something, or to make it seem ridiculous.

The new law makes a nonsense of all our previous efforts.

Did the scandal make nonsense of the company's promises?

stuff and nonsense

idiom

Used to express that something is foolish or untrue.

He said the earth is flat, but that's stuff and nonsense.

Maya called the rumor stuff and nonsense and walked away.

nonsense — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Nonsense is the most neutral and common word for foolish ideas, statements, or behaviour that lack truth or good sense. Rubbish (very common in British English) and garbage (very common in American English) share much of the same meaning but lean slightly more toward 'worthless' — you might call a poorly made product 'rubbish' or 'garbage', but 'nonsense' would sound odd there. Baloney is distinctly informal and implies intentional exaggeration or deception, not just foolishness. For example: 'The claim that this machine cures all diseases is nonsense' (neutral, factual dismissal); 'That's a load of baloney' (informal, dismissive of an obvious lie). Nonsense also covers foolish behaviour and writing, while rubbish and garbage focus more on what is said or produced.

rubbish ↗garbage ↗baloney

Common collocations

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

  • nonsense about

Etymology

English (non- + sense)Latin (sensus: 'feeling, meaning')

Nonsense was formed in the early 1600s by adding the prefix non- (meaning 'not') to the noun sense (meaning 'meaning' or 'good judgement'). It originally referred to meaningless or unintelligible language, and later broadened to cover foolish ideas and behaviour. The adjective use (before a noun, as in nonsense word) developed in the 1800s in academic writing.