RIDICULOUS Synonyms: 158 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'ridiculous' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of ridiculous are comical , comic , laughable , and ludicrous . While all these words mean "provoking laughter or mirth," ridiculous suggests extreme absurdity, foolishness, or contemptibility. // a ridiculous display of anger

Q: When is 'comic' a more appropriate choice than 'ridiculous'?

The meanings of comic and ridiculous largely overlap; however, comic applies especially to what arouses thoughtful amusement. // a comic character

Q: When is it sensible to use 'comical' instead of 'ridiculous'?

The synonyms comical and ridiculous are sometimes interchangeable, but comical applies to what arouses spontaneous hilarity. // a comical hat

Q: When can 'laughable' be used instead of 'ridiculous'?

In some situations, the words laughable and ridiculous are roughly equivalent. However, laughable applies to anything occasioning laughter. // laughable attempts at skating

Q: When would 'ludicrous' be a good substitute for 'ridiculous'?

Although the words ludicrous and ridiculous have much in common, ludicrous suggests absurdity that excites both laughter and scorn. // a thriller with a ludicrous plot

ridiculous

adjective

rə-ˈdi-kyə-ləs

Definition of ridiculous next

as in absurd

so foolish or pointless as to be worthy of scornful laughter a movie thriller with such a ridiculous plot that it gets only guffaws from audiences

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in funny

causing or intended to cause laughter a movie comedian who has perfected the ridiculous pratfall

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective ridiculous differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of ridiculous are comical, comic, laughable, and ludicrous. While all these words mean "provoking laughter or mirth," ridiculous suggests extreme absurdity, foolishness, or contemptibility.

a ridiculous display of anger

When is comic a more appropriate choice than ridiculous?

The meanings of comic and ridiculous largely overlap; however, comic applies especially to what arouses thoughtful amusement.

a comic character

When is it sensible to use comical instead of ridiculous?

The synonyms comical and ridiculous are sometimes interchangeable, but comical applies to what arouses spontaneous hilarity.

a comical hat

When can laughable be used instead of ridiculous?

In some situations, the words laughable and ridiculous are roughly equivalent. However, laughable applies to anything occasioning laughter.

laughable attempts at skating

When would ludicrous be a good substitute for ridiculous?

Although the words ludicrous and ridiculous have much in common, ludicrous suggests absurdity that excites both laughter and scorn.

a thriller with a ludicrous plot

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of ridiculous Perhaps the most ridiculous example of the latter came during the festival’s closing night ceremony, when Adra and Abraham took the stage to receive an award and spoke out against the IDF’s actions in Gaza and for Germany’s continued military support of Israel. —

Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024 In those five games, the Lions have more touchdowns (25) than incompletions (20), which is just ridiculous. —

Andy Scholes, CNN, 31 Oct. 2024 The duplication of effort, the ridiculous hours, and the endless inefficiencies were invisible. —

Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 10 Nov. 2024 The man’s ridiculous splashing now awoke a strange tender feeling in Craint, such as one might feel for something dear and helpless. —

Greg Jackson, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for ridiculous

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ridiculous

Adjective

After lightly chiding these gents for two movies, director Michael Winterbottom finally takes the knives out and begins to punish them, a decision that results in two late scenes that border on sociopathic and culminates in an unimaginably absurd ending that refuses to let Coogan off the hook.

David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 19 Nov. 2024
To envision European unity without the United States—as the authors attempt to do—is therefore absurd. SOCIAL CONSTRUCTS O’Brien and Stringer try to address, in a practical way, the hard security questions Europe would face if abandoned by Washington.

Sumantra Maitra, Foreign Affairs, 4 Nov. 2024