Synonyms

preposterous

American

[pri-pos-ter-uhs, -truhs] / prɪˈpɒs tər əs, -trəs /

adjective

completely contrary to nature, reason, or common sense; utterly foolish; absurd; senseless.

a preposterous tale.

Synonyms:

ridiculous, excessive, unreasonable

preposterous British

/ prɪˈpɒstərəs /

adjective

contrary to nature, reason, or sense; absurd; ridiculous

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See absurd.

Other Word Forms

preposterously adverb
preposterousness noun
unpreposterous adjective
unpreposterously adverb
unpreposterousness noun

Etymology

Origin of preposterous

First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin praeposterus “inverted, reversed, perverted, perverse,” literally, “with the rear part first”; pre-, posterior, -ous

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.

It’s as preposterous as—and far more dangerous than—a state rejecting the dollar and accepting only bitcoin, guilders or paper clips as its currency.

From The Wall Street Journal

Former Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre has told the High Court he "utterly refutes" the "preposterous" allegations of unlawful newsgathering at the paper.

From BBC

And although she posted, “My Olympic dream isn’t over,” many fans felt it sounded preposterous.

From The Wall Street Journal

ANL has strongly denied claims made against its journalism calling them "lurid" and "preposterous".

From Barron's

ANL has consistently denied the claims, calling them "lurid" and "preposterous".

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023