ridiculous

[ ri-dik-yuh-luhs ]

adjective

1. causing or worthy of ridicule or derision; absurd; preposterous; laughable:

   a ridiculous plan.

   Synonyms: farcical, comical, droll, funny, ludicrous, nonsensical

   Antonyms: sensible

2. Slang. absurdly or unbelievably good, bad, crazy, etc.:

   The concert was ridiculous, their best performance ever!

ridiculous

/ rɪˈdɪkjʊləs /

adjective

1. worthy of or exciting ridicule; absurd, preposterous, laughable, or contemptible

Derived Forms

• riˈdiculously, adverb
• riˈdiculousness, noun

Other Words From

• ri·dic·u·lous·ly adverb
• ri·dic·u·lous·ness ri·dic·u·los·i·ty [ri-dik-y, uh, -, los, -i-tee], noun
• hy·per·ri·dic·u·lous adjective
• hy·per·ri·dic·u·lous·ly adverb
• qua·si-ri·dic·u·lous adjective
• qua·si-ri·dic·u·lous·ly adverb
• un·ri·dic·u·lous adjective
• un·ri·dic·u·lous·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of ridiculous¹

First recorded in 1540–50; from Late Latin rīdiculōsus “laughable, droll,” equivalent to Latin rīdicul(us), adjective derivative of rīdiculum ridicule ( def ) + -ōsus -ous ( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of ridiculous¹

C16: from Latin rīdiculōsus , from rīdēre to laugh

Idioms and Phrases

see from the ridiculous to the sublime .

Synonym Study

See absurd.

Example Sentences

Some of it has to be attributed to the ridiculous offensive environment we have seen in the bubble.

From FiveThirtyEight

In my driveway during lunchtime I felt ridiculous swinging a kettlebell.

From Ozy

We’re coming up with such a ridiculous answer that it really forces us to reinvestigate every single assumption that we made along the way to get there.

From Quanta Magazine

The telltale sign of these problems is that models claiming to predict past elections extremely well often produce inaccurate — or even ridiculous — answers when applied to elections in which the result is unknown ahead of time.

From FiveThirtyEight

Shepard said he’s always dismissed allegations of voter fraud through mail voting as ridiculous, based on the validation steps followed by registrars in California, and by San Diego Registrar Michael Vu in particular.

From Voice of San Diego

As it turns out, though, cartoon curmudgeons get the best, most ridiculous lines.

From The Daily Beast

Pitchfork called him a “a rap-obsessed misfit from a summer camp who freestyles poorly” who is “ridiculous without knowing it.”

From The Daily Beast

It was fearless and raunchy and fun and ridiculous and weird and feminist and powerful.

From The Daily Beast

Marriage is a bond and a commitment—marrying yourself is ridiculous because you are already married to yourself.

From The Daily Beast

Are the standards for female beauty in Hollywood ridiculous?

From The Daily Beast

This wasn't at all what he meant to say, and it sounded very ridiculous; but somehow the words wouldn't come straight.

From Project Gutenberg

I do not know how things are in America but in England there has been a ridiculous attempt to suppress Bolshevik propaganda.

From Project Gutenberg

This was such a ridiculous idea that Davy threw back his head, and laughed long and loud.

From Project Gutenberg

In case any reader should hastily exclaim, “What a ridiculous question; there can be only one southward!”

From Project Gutenberg

Her directness had made all possible 'buts' seem ridiculous and futile, and had made the expression of curiosity seem offensive.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• absurd
• bizarre
• fantastic
• foolish
• goofy
• impossible
• incredible
• laughable
• ludicrous
• nonsensical
• outrageous
• preposterous
• silly
• unbelievable
• wacky