NONSENSE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does nonsense mean? 

• NONSENSE (noun)
  The noun NONSENSE has 2 senses:

1. a message that seems to convey no meaning

2. ornamental objects of no great value

  Familiarity information: NONSENSE used as a noun is rare.

• NONSENSE (adjective)
  The adjective NONSENSE has 1 sense:

1. having no intelligible meaning

  Familiarity information: NONSENSE used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• NONSENSE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A message that seems to convey no meaning

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

bunk; hokum; meaninglessness; nonsense; nonsensicality

Hypernyms ("nonsense" is a kind of...):

content; message; subject matter; substance (what a communication that is about something is about)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "nonsense"):

absurdity; absurdness; ridiculousness (a message whose content is at variance with reason)

amphigory; nonsense verse (nonsensical writing (usually verse))

balderdash; fiddle-faddle; piffle (trivial nonsense)

buzzword; cant (stock phrases that have become nonsense through endless repetition)

cobblers (nonsense)

crock (nonsense; foolish talk)

fa la; fal la (meaningless syllables in the refrain of a partsong)

gibber; gibberish (unintelligible talking)

incoherence; incoherency; unintelligibility (nonsense that is simply incoherent and unintelligible)

jabberwocky (nonsensical language (according to Lewis Carroll))

flummery; mummery (meaningless ceremonies and flattery)

empty talk; empty words; hot air; palaver; rhetoric (loud and confused and empty talk)

rigamarole; rigmarole (a set of confused and meaningless statements)

schmegegge; shmegegge ((Yiddish) baloney; hot air; nonsense)

hooey; poppycock; stuff; stuff and nonsense (senseless talk)

baloney; bilgewater; boloney; bosh; drool; humbug; taradiddle; tarradiddle; tommyrot; tosh; twaddle (pretentious or silly talk or writing)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Ornamental objects of no great value

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

falderol; folderal; frill; gimcrack; gimcrackery; nonsense; trumpery

Hypernyms ("nonsense" is a kind of...):

decoration; ornament; ornamentation (something used to beautify)

• NONSENSE (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Having no intelligible meaning

Synonyms:

nonsense; nonsensical

Context example:

a nonsensical jumble of words

Similar:

meaningless; nonmeaningful (having no meaning or direction or purpose)

 Context examples 

I think they are great nonsense, and I'll thank you not to be silly and spoil my fun.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Mrs. Bennet said only, “Nonsense, nonsense!”

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

Lor, Peggotty! observed my mother, rousing herself from a reverie, what nonsense you talk!

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

It is all part and parcel of the same system of quackery and nonsense, for which I regret to say that the writer is notorious.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I could not bear that she should be frightened from the visit by such nonsense.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

“Psha, nonsense!” was Isabella's answer in the same half whisper.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

Nonsense! And is it that makes you so miserable?

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

I shall take no notice of such nonsense.’

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

They burst into loud laughter at Dutchy's nonsense.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

"What ridiculous nonsense you are talking!"

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)