preposterous

[pri-pos-ter-uhs, -truhs]

adjective

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

   a preposterous tale.

   Synonyms: ridiculous, excessive, unreasonable

preposterous

/ prɪˈpɒstərəs /

adjective

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

Other Word Forms

• preposterously adverb
• preposterousness noun
• unpreposterous adjective
• unpreposterously adverb
• unpreposterousness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of preposterous¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of preposterous¹

C16: from Latin praeposterus reversed, from prae in front, before + posterus following

Synonym Study

See absurd.

Example Sentences

The idea that Saddam would scruple to support al Qaeda seems preposterous even now.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

And Steve shoots up in his chair and asks, ‘What did you just say?’—as if the guy had just uttered the most preposterous statement in the history of finance.

Read more on Literature

Ron’s odyssey is preposterous, and his passion for seeing it through is deliriously outsized.

Read more on Salon

And have you ever seen anything as ludicrous, as preposterous, as jaw-droppingly hilarious as a third Scottish goal going in at the end?

Read more on BBC

Still, some residents decried the ballooning fees, with one calling the increase “preposterous.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• absurd 
• crazy 
• excessive 
• fantastic 
• foolish 
• impossible 
• incredible 
• insane 
• irrational 
• laughable 
• ludicrous 
• nonsensical 
• outrageous 
• senseless 
• shocking 
• silly 
• stupid 
• unbelievable 
• unreasonable 
• unthinkable