荒こう唐とう無む稽けい

こ

う

と

う

む

け

い

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

na-adjective, noun

absurd; nonsensical; preposterous

yojijukugo (four-character idiom)

Describes ideas, stories, or claims that are wildly illogical, baseless, or contrary to common sense. Often used in critical or dismissive contexts.

彼かれの説せつ明めいは荒こう唐とう無む稽けいで、誰だれも信しんじなかった。

His explanation was so absurd that no one believed it.

その小しょう説せつの筋すじ書がきは荒こう唐とう無む稽けいだが、面おも白しろい。

The plot of that novel is preposterous, but it's interesting.

Kanji

荒laid waste, rough, rude
唐T'ang, China, foreign
無nothingness, none, ain't
稽think, consider

Related words

トンデモ
荒唐無稽 is a formal, literary term for something baseless and absurd, whereas トンデモ is casual slang often attached directly to nouns like トンデモ本.
ナンセンスN1
荒唐無稽 is a formal, literary four-character phrase for something wildly implausible, whereas ナンセンス is a casual loanword used in everyday speech.
不ふ条じょう理りN1
荒唐無稽 describes something fantastical or nonsensical with no basis in reality, while 不条理 describes something that defies logical or moral order, often in a philosophical sense.

Built from

荒こう唐とう+無む稽けい

Etymology

A yojijukugo composed of 荒唐 (wild, exaggerated) and 無稽 (groundless, without basis). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination conveys extreme absurdity.