ridiculous
Americanadjective
adjective
Related Words
See absurd.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of ridiculous
First recorded in 1540–50; from Late Latin rīdiculōsus “laughable, droll,” equivalent to Latin rīdicul(us), adjective derivative of rīdiculum ridicule ( def. ) + -ōsus -ous ( def. )
Explanation
Did you just say that you could toss a rubber chicken over an ocean? Don’t be ridiculous, because ridiculous words are hard to believe, and they will make others laugh at you, not always in a good way either. The adjective ridiculous comes from the Latin word ridere, which means “to laugh,” but it’s also related to the word ridicule, which means to mock in a cruel way. A mocking and cruel laughter, that’s a common reaction to ridiculous situations. However, there are all different kinds of ridiculous, like seeing a fish holding an umbrella while riding a bike.
Vocabulary lists containing ridiculous
The Secret Life of Bees
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Commonly Misspelled Words, List 6
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"Abuela Invents the Zero" and "Karate"
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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.
Ridiculous Tour,” hovering over a giant photo of the comedian wearing his signature “well, shucks” grin.
From Salon • Mar. 16, 2025
"He was given two life sentences, plus 40 years. Ridiculous!"
From BBC • Jan. 21, 2025
Ridiculous amounts of snow is nothing new at Mt.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 16, 2023
“In ‘Irma Vep,’ Mr. Ludlam and Mr. Quinton have raised the Ridiculous to the sublime.”
From New York Times • Jan. 27, 2023
Ridiculous how predictable some of these guys can be.
From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone
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.
