laughable

[laf-uh-buhl, lah-fuh-]

adjective

1. such as to cause laughter; funny; amusing; ludicrous.

   Synonyms: risible, ridiculous, farcical, comical, droll, humorous
   Antonyms: melancholy, sad

laughable

/ ˈlɑːfəbəl /

adjective

1. producing scorn; ludicrous

   he offered me a laughable sum for the picture

2. arousing laughter

Other Word Forms

• laughableness noun
• laughably adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of laughable¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; laugh + -able

Synonym Study

See funny ¹.

Example Sentences

Watching teams defend set-plays today is at times laughable, with many defending players not even looking at the ball that's being delivered.

Read more on BBC

The pulp magazines that featured 20th-century fantasy and science fiction were fronted by illustrations that could be laughable or lurid.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

So it stands to reason they would find some laughable pretext to bless his run for a third term, despite it being explicitly forbidden by the 22nd Amendment.

Read more on Salon

“What’s so funny? Is the idea of me being Queen something that is laughable?”

Read more on Literature

Despite the visual dazzle, the movie’s a bore, when it isn’t outright laughable.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• absurd 
• bizarre 
• comical 
• fantastic 
• farcical 
• funny 
• hilarious 
• humorous 
• ludicrous 
• nonsensical 
• preposterous 
• ridiculous