Sensesplaining

A form of verbalsplaining where, instead of engaging with the content of someone's argument, you simply declare it "nonsense" and then explain why it's nonsense without ever addressing what was actually said. The sensesplainer positions themselves as the arbiter of sense, the guardian of meaning, the one who gets to decide what counts as coherent. They don't need to understand your argument; they've already decided it's nonsense, and now they're going to explain to you why your own thoughts don't make sense. It's the rhetorical equivalent of covering your ears and then giving a lecture on the importance of listening. Sensesplaining is especially popular among people who have no counterargument but can't bear to simply say "I disagree."

Sensesplaining Example: "She presented a detailed proposal for improving the workflow. He sensesplained for twenty minutes about why her ideas were 'nonsense'—never addressing a single point, just declaring the whole thing incoherent. When she asked what specifically was nonsense, he said 'the whole approach' and kept talking. She stopped presenting in meetings."

by Abzugal February 16, 2026

Flag