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.

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

Local author Patrick Gale called it a "preposterous piece of cultural vandalism".

From BBC

ANL has repeatedly denied the allegations, calling them "lurid" and "preposterous".

From BBC

The media group has firmly denied the allegations, 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