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RIDICULOUS


ADJECTIVE

ri· dic· u· lous rə-ˈdi-kyə-ləs How to pronounce ridiculous (audio)

Synonyms of ridiculousnext
: arousing or deserving ridicule : extremely silly or unreasonable : absurd,
preposterous
ridiculousness noun



SYNONYMS

   
 * absurd
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * cockamamy
   
   
   
   
 * cockamamie
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * comical
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * derisive
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * derisory
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * farcical
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * laughable
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * ludicrous
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * pathetic
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * preposterous
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * risible
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * silly
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
Choose the Right Synonym for ridiculous

laughable, ludicrous, ridiculous, comic, comical mean provoking laughter or
mirth.

laughable applies to anything occasioning laughter.

laughable attempts at skating

ludicrous suggests absurdity that excites both laughter and scorn.

a thriller with a ludicrous plot

ridiculous suggests extreme absurdity, foolishness, or contemptibility.

a ridiculous display of anger

comic applies especially to what arouses thoughtful amusement.

a comic character

comical applies to what arouses spontaneous hilarity.

a comical hat




EXAMPLES OF RIDICULOUS IN A SENTENCE

His band mates take the stage in ridiculous elf costumes—black tights, pointy
felt hats. — Jason Cohen, Rolling Stone, 23 Feb. 1995

I also poked fun at those ridiculous fins on the '59 Cadillac. The '60, now,
that was something else, and I've thought highly enough of the design to have
owned two of them. — Marshall Schuon, New York Times, 30 June 1991

Take into account the artist's intention and choice of means. This sounds so
elementary that it seems ridiculous to bring it up … — Leonardo Shapiro, Village
Voice, 27 Aug. 1991

It was absurd for him to paint portraits for pay, and ridiculous to paint them
for nothing; so he did not paint them at all. — William Dean Howells, The Rise
of Silas Lapham, 1885

She looks ridiculous in that outfit. It was a ridiculous suggestion. That's an
absolutely ridiculous price for that sweater.
See More

Recent Examples on the Web One goal with My Mama, Cass was finally putting any
ridiculous myths to bed, including the rumor that Elliot died after choking on a
ham sandwich. — Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 14 Nov. 2023 The brand
celebrated its 100th birthday this year, prompting ridiculous merchandise (fine
silver replicas of Vegemite jars that sold out in four hours) and an abundance
of questionable collaborations (Vegemite oats, Vegemite roast chicken, Vegemite
Taco Bell). — Natasha Frost Abigail Varney, New York Times, 12 Nov. 2023 On
Earth, air pushes on your skin from every direction with a consistent pressure
of about 14 pounds per square inch, or using ridiculous non-American units, 1
atmosphere. — Kelly and Zach Weinersmith, Popular Science, 8 Nov. 2023
Commenters to the super funny TikTok created by the brothers had some truly
incredible anecdotes to share on the topic of parents worrying about ridiculous
things. — Melissa Willets, Parents, 3 Nov. 2023 By a dictatorship, Arrow means a
ridiculous aggregator that simply always mimics the rankings of the same single
voter. — Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 2 Nov. 2023 The rapid ascent that’s
come with diversifying their sound has taken the quintet from the brightest star
in the Santa Cruz hardcore scene to the national stage, earning all of the
praise, criticisms, sexism and ridiculous rumors that go along with it. — Josh
Chesler, SPIN, 1 Nov. 2023 The townspeople found the spectacle ridiculous, but
her caution was wise. — James Verini Paolo Pellegrin, New York Times, 1 Nov.
2023 Toyota is ready to have some fun after bringing the Land Cruiser back to
the U.S. The Japanese auto giant has brought a ridiculous concept called the FJ
Bruiser to this year’s SEMA show. — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 1 Nov. 2023
See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to
illustrate current usage of the word 'ridiculous.' Any opinions expressed in the
examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us
feedback about these examples.




WORD HISTORY

Etymology

Latin ridiculosus (from ridiculum jest, from neuter of ridiculus) or ridiculus,
literally, laughable, from ridēre to laugh

First Known Use

1550, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ridiculous was in 1550
See more words from the same year


PHRASES CONTAINING RIDICULOUS

 * from the sublime to the ridiculous

 * from the sublime to the ridiculous


ARTICLES RELATED TO RIDICULOUS

6 Filthy Americanisms that Aren't...

And one that is




DICTIONARY ENTRIES NEAR RIDICULOUS

ridiculosity

ridiculous

ridiculously

See More Nearby Entries 


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“Ridiculous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ridiculous. Accessed 26 Nov. 2023.

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KIDS DEFINITION

ridiculous

adjective
ri· dic· u· lous rə-ˈdik-yə-ləs How to pronounce ridiculous (audio)
: causing or deserving ridicule : absurd, preposterous
ridiculously adverb
ridiculousness noun



MORE FROM MERRIAM-WEBSTER ON RIDICULOUS

Nglish: Translation of ridiculous for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of ridiculous for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: 17 Nov 2023 - Updated example sentences
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