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
Until Friday, these videos seemed merely risible, the work of an ersatz journalist so naïve that he appears startlingly unaware of the long history of gullible Westerners falling for such cherry-picked displays of Soviet majesty.
From Slate • Feb. 16, 2024
The story is absurd, the dialogue snort-out-loud risible, the fights uninspired.
From New York Times • Feb. 14, 2024
The union boss described the pay offer made from the Rail Delivery Group, which represents train companies, as "risible".
From BBC • Nov. 16, 2023
Certainly there is a large amount of jocularity in the familiar writings of Keats—often a quick perception of the ridiculous or the risible, sometimes a telling jest or jeu d’esprit.
From Life of John Keats by Rossetti, William Michael
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.
