preposterous

[ pri-pos-ter-uhs, -truhs ]
See synonyms for preposterous on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. completely contrary to nature, reason, or common sense; utterly foolish; absurd; senseless: a preposterous tale.

Origin of preposterous

1
First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin praeposterus “inverted, reversed, perverted, perverse,” literally, “with the rear part first”; see also pre-, posterior, -ous

synonym study For preposterous

See absurd.

Other words for preposterous

Other words from preposterous

  • pre·pos·ter·ous·ly, adverb
  • pre·pos·ter·ous·ness, noun
  • un·pre·pos·ter·ous, adjective
  • un·pre·pos·ter·ous·ly, adverb
  • un·pre·pos·ter·ous·ness, noun

Words Nearby preposterous

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How to use preposterous in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for preposterous

preposterous

/ (prɪˈpɒstərəs) /


adjective
  1. contrary to nature, reason, or sense; absurd; ridiculous

Origin of preposterous

1
C16: from Latin praeposterus reversed, from prae in front, before + posterus following

Derived forms of preposterous

  • preposterously, adverb
  • preposterousness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012