ludicrous
Americanadjective
adjective
Synonym Usage
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.
For 10 days, the center of the cinematic universe is the Toronto International Film Festival, whose closest geographical landmark is currently a ludicrous controversy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
Of course, the real Bourdain did not propose such a ludicrous project, which the movie professors pass on after he’d already boasted to his family and friends that he’d gotten the fellowship.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
"I just think it's absolutely ludicrous," she says.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
The author’s typically ludicrous plotting centers on a father convicted of the murder of his young son in this eight-part series starring Sam Worthington.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026
And anyway, the idea that we would celebrate anything right now is so ludicrous I don’t continue.
From "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth
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.
