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

Other Word Forms

• ridiculously adverb
• ridiculousness noun
• ridiculosity noun
• hyperridiculous adjective
• hyperridiculously adverb
• quasi-ridiculous adjective
• quasi-ridiculously adverb
• unridiculous adjective
• unridiculously 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

In a clever touch, Sphere lets us continue to see the monstrous green face, now neutered and ridiculous, mouth along as the panicked geek apologizes for being a humbug.

From Los Angeles Times

"The stories and tone of the show are similar - it's still about figuring out what your workmates mean to you and putting them in ridiculous situations," he says.

From BBC

Mariama Bundu is from Newport in south Wales says she tends to travel at peak times and found the price "ridiculous".

From BBC

It’s a fluffy show, sometimes catching something real, frequently improbable, never completely ridiculous.

From Los Angeles Times

"It seems ridiculous that here we are, 80 years after the end of the Second World War, and we're still dealing with this legacy."

From BBC

Related Words

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