preposterous
Americanadjective
adjective
Synonym Usage
See absurd.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of preposterous
First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin praeposterus “inverted, reversed, perverted, perverse,” literally, “with the rear part first”; see also pre-, posterior, -ous
Explanation
To a vegetarian, the idea of eating a 52-ounce T-bone steak would seem preposterous — absolutely absurd. When the word preposterous was first used, it meant reversing the normal order of things — putting what was last first, and vice versa. Imagine putting on your underwear over your pants and you'll see that there's a kind of absurdity in something that's backwards, which is why preposterous came to mean "ridiculous." The word is often used as part of an exclamation: a chef who is asked to cook with nothing but jelly beans might exclaim, "That's preposterous!"
Vocabulary lists containing preposterous
Holes
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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.
Preposterous really, how it never even crossed my mind.
From Salon • Apr. 10, 2025
Preposterous, adjective: from the Latin prae-, meaning “before,” and posterus, or “coming after.”
From New York Times • Apr. 20, 2023
Everything from Toni Morrison’s “Beloved” to Dav Pilkey’s “Captain Underpants and the Preposterous Plight of the Purple Potty People” is being consigned to the metaphorical fire.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 6, 2022
Preposterous, but there was good in those days, there was love and laughter.
From Slate • May 13, 2020
Preposterous, what she was doing and planning at Perth!
From Sir George Tressady — Volume II by Ward, Humphry, Mrs.
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.
