ludicrous
Americanadjective
adjective
Related Words
See funny 1.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of ludicrous
1610–20; from Latin lūdicrus “sportive,” equivalent to lūdicr(um) “a show, public games” ( lūdi-, stem of lūdere “to play” + -crum noun suffix of instrument or result) + -us -ous
Explanation
Ludicrous things are funny, absurd, or nonsensical. If someone says something silly or far-fetched, you could say "That's ludicrous!" Ludicrous originally meant something that was funny, playful, or joking: a ludicrous comment was just a really funny comment. Over time, ludicrous took on a more negative flavor. Now a ludicrous statement might be funny, but it's also ridiculous, hard to believe, off the wall, or even stupid. When people say "That idea is ludicrous!" it usually means the idea could never happen: the notion is laughable. Saying Neil Armstrong was the third President would be a ludicrous statement.
Vocabulary lists containing ludicrous
A Raisin in the Sun
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The Hunger Games
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Unit 1: Telling Details
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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.
Elsewhere he notes that “it would be ludicrous to suggest that all constraints are creatively generative.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026
“Optical is heading into ludicrous speed,” Mizuho managing director for equity trading Daniel O’Regan said in a note to clients about Monday’s trading action.
From MarketWatch • May 11, 2026
Greg's described the challenge - dubbed Radio 1's Longest Ride with Greg James for Red Nose Day - as his most "ludicrous challenge" yet for Comic Relief.
From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026
This price tag is ludicrous for an 18-month experiment.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 2026
The adventure of the summer seemed suddenly ludicrous.
From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez
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.
