preposterous
Americanadjective
adjective
Synonym Usage
See absurd.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of preposterous
First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin praeposterus “inverted, reversed, perverted, perverse,” literally, “with the rear part first”; see also pre-, posterior, -ous
Explanation
To a vegetarian, the idea of eating a 52-ounce T-bone steak would seem preposterous — absolutely absurd. When the word preposterous was first used, it meant reversing the normal order of things — putting what was last first, and vice versa. Imagine putting on your underwear over your pants and you'll see that there's a kind of absurdity in something that's backwards, which is why preposterous came to mean "ridiculous." The word is often used as part of an exclamation: a chef who is asked to cook with nothing but jelly beans might exclaim, "That's preposterous!"
Vocabulary lists containing preposterous
Holes
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"The Hunger Games" Vocabulary from Chapter 1
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And Then There Were None
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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.
“Swan Song” follows all of Mr. Spencer’s edits to the eulogy text with preposterous vanity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
“It’s preposterous to think that a child would be able to self-represent,” she said, “and I think any rational adult would agree with that.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
Police spokesperson Michael Muchiri told AFP that claims the force works alongside goons are "preposterous", suggesting the above incidents involved rogue officers who were now under investigation.
From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026
He posits that all the various forms of our modern alienation are connected, drawing throughlines that are both preposterous and incisive as he shows his work.
From Salon ● May 22, 2026
Her escape had been a preposterous idea, but even a sliver of it amounted to the best adventure of her life.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
