absurd vs ersatz

absurd

adj
  • Dealing with absurdism. 

  • Contrary to reason or propriety; obviously and flatly opposed to manifest truth; inconsistent with the plain dictates of common sense; logically contradictory; nonsensical; ridiculous; silly. 

  • Having no rational or orderly relationship to people's lives; meaningless; lacking order or value. 

noun
  • The opposition between the human search for meaning in life and the inability to find any; the state or condition in which man exists in an irrational universe and his life has no meaning outside of his existence. 

ersatz

adj
  • Made in imitation; artificial, especially of a poor quality. 

noun
  • Something made in imitation; an effigy or substitute. 

How often have the words absurd and ersatz occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )