the absurd vs state of affairs

the absurd and state of affairs both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
the absurd	Yes	No	No	No
state of affairs	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, state of affairs is a hypernym of the absurd; that is, state of affairs is a word with a broader meaning than the absurd:

the absurd: a situation in which life seems irrational and meaningless
state of affairs: the general state of things; the combination of circumstances at a given time

Other hypernyms of the absurd include situation.

the absurd (noun)	state of affairs (noun)
a situation in which life seems irrational and meaningless	the general state of things; the combination of circumstances at a given time