adjective
-
having a tendency to laugh
-
causing laughter; ridiculous
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of risible
1550–60; < Late Latin rīsibilis that can laugh, equivalent to Latin rīs ( us ) laughed (past participle of rīdēre to laugh) + -ibilis -ible
Explanation
Risible describes something that is laughable or amusing, like seeing dozens of clowns emerge from a very tiny car. Risible is a fun word to say (it rhymes with visible), but it's not used all that much, maybe because it's a little formal. If you started saying the word risible all the time, that itself might be a little bit risible. Fun — and less stuffy — synonyms include amusing, comic, comical, funny, laughable, and mirthful.
Vocabulary lists containing risible
Tricky Terms for April Fool's Day
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Feed
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Hapworth 16, 1924" by J.D. Salinger
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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 clear that George has married above himself, but his shortcomings come off as risible rather than oppressive, and it’s hard not to feel protective of him as he’s being pummeled to a pulp.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 25, 2026
The infiltrators should expose this as a risible lie.
From Slate ● Apr. 15, 2024
Among his more risible claims is that 29 of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence were lay ministers.
From Salon ● Nov. 4, 2023
Certainly, the glass eye he uses has made him only more risible to them.
From New York Times ● Oct. 26, 2023
He fatigues me with his perpetual disquiet and his uneasy appeals to my risible or sentimental faculties.
From Henry Esmond; The English Humourists; The Four Georges by Saintsbury, George
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.
