ludicrous
Americanadjective
adjective
Synonym Usage
See funny 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of ludicrous
1610–20; from Latin lūdicrus “sportive,” equivalent to lūdicr(um) “a show, public games” ( lūdi-, stem of lūdere “to play” + -crum noun suffix of instrument or result) + -us -ous
Explanation
Ludicrous things are funny, absurd, or nonsensical. If someone says something silly or far-fetched, you could say "That's ludicrous!" Ludicrous originally meant something that was funny, playful, or joking: a ludicrous comment was just a really funny comment. Over time, ludicrous took on a more negative flavor. Now a ludicrous statement might be funny, but it's also ridiculous, hard to believe, off the wall, or even stupid. When people say "That idea is ludicrous!" it usually means the idea could never happen: the notion is laughable. Saying Neil Armstrong was the third President would be a ludicrous statement.
Vocabulary lists containing ludicrous
A Raisin in the Sun
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The Hunger Games
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Unit 1: Telling Details
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Bespoke points out that the peak of that mania was one of only two times that there have been as many stocks on its Ludicrous List.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026
When asked by his barrister Errol Ballentyne if this happened, Mr Hollis said: "Ludicrous, would be my response to that... it's frustrating to hear so."
From BBC • Sep. 22, 2022
Much like Tesla with its Ludicrous mode, the Dodge Charger EV will include something called a “PowerShot push-to-pass feature.”
From The Verge • Aug. 18, 2022
Ludicrous because every day was, for all intents and purposes, a carbon copy of the day before.
From Slate • Mar. 10, 2021
Subjective Character of the Ludicrous—The Subject little Studied—Obstacles to the Investigation—Evanescence—Mental Character of the Ludicrous—Distinction between Humour and the Ludicrous.
From History of English Humour, Vol. 1 With an Introduction upon Ancient Humour by L'Estrange, Alfred Guy Kingan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
