adjective
-
ludicrous; absurd
-
of or relating to farce
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of farcical
Explanation
Something that's farcical is ridiculously funny — absurd, even. When you stumbled onstage, tripping over your costume and pulling down the backdrop, you brought a farcical element to the serious play. If it resembles a farce — a silly comedy that pokes fun at something — you can describe it as farcical, which is pronounced "FAR-cih-kul." Farcical comes from the Latin farcire, "to stuff," which influenced the French farce, a "comic interlude in a mystery play." It's thought that farce came to have this meaning because it was "stuffed" in between acts.
Vocabulary lists containing farcical
100 SAT Words Beginning with "F"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Common Sense," Vocabulary from the pamphlet
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Just Mercy
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
An antidote to August ennui: When Byard Duncan began to feel the creep of a midlife crisis, he realized that desperate times call for farcical measures.
From Slate ● Aug. 3, 2026
That is a real social phenomenon, by the way, but nowhere as farcical as it’s depicted here.
From Salon ● Jul. 6, 2026
Though the subject is serious, the approach this time is light and farcical.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 22, 2026
City have a monumental job on their hands as they endured a similar – albeit less farcical – fate to Spurs, who lost 5-2 to Atletico Madrid in the Spanish capital 24 hours earlier.
From BBC ● Mar. 11, 2026
They dug trenches, secured supply lines and were sent out on night exercises that were farcical for the infantrymen because the purpose was never explained and there was a shortage of weapons.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
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.
