About 163,000 results
Open links in new tab
  1. Term for the "extreme-extension" version of a straw man fallacy?

    Mar 27, 2019 · 4 Consider reductio ad absurdum: A mode of argumentation or a form of argument in which a proposition is disproven by following its implications logically to an absurd …

  2. humor - What is it called when someone uses a slightly absurd …

    Apr 2, 2015 · The "absurd" conclusion of a reductio ad absurdum argument can take a range of forms: *Rocks have weight, otherwise we would see them floating in the air.* *Society must …

  3. Denotation of Paradox - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

    Mar 23, 2024 · Oxford Dictionary of English, courtesy of Google defines paradox in three ways, the first two being: [1] a seemingly absurd or contradictory statement or proposition which …

  4. What's the difference between "ludicrous" and "ridiculous"?

    Jul 4, 2018 · Both terms are used to indicate absurdity; the subtle difference is that ludicrous means amusingly so, and ridiculous means inviting ridicule or mockery.

  5. Is there a common English phrase for the 'so absurd it must be …

    In conclusion, most "so absurd it must be true" arguments are likely to include one of these somewhere. They probably have other problems, too, considering how absurd they are. The …

  6. Origin of "absurd"? - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

    Jul 14, 2017 · Thus, "absurd" literally translates to "not irrational", or "rational". Does anyone have any insight as to how the word suddenly came to mean the exact antonym?

  7. single word requests - Past participle equivalent of "absurd"

    Is there a past participle equivalent of absurd? More specifically, is there a verb meaning to make absurd that has a past participle form (made absurd)? This is similar to how the word inverted

  8. What is this famous example of the absurdity of English spelling?

    Jun 30, 2017 · Also of interest is that at the time (around mid-1800s) many persons were intrigued with the ' Phonotypy and Phonography ' of English, with Alexander J. Ellis presenting a …

  9. Analogy for an absurd way to teach something?

    Sep 14, 2011 · I recently found out that someone is being taught the programming language Python to learn math. This seems quite absurd, and I could have sworn I had heard an …

  10. meaning - "Ridiculous amount": semantic change (amelioration ...

    To answer the question of drift of meaning, you need a historical dictionary, like OED. I'm not going to reproduce the whole entry. ridiculous A. adj 1. a. Arousing or deserving mockery or …