ridiculous

adjective

ri·​dic·​u·​lous rə-ˈdi-kyə-ləs How to pronounce ridiculous (audio)
: arousing or deserving ridicule : extremely silly or unreasonable : absurd, preposterous
ridiculousness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for ridiculous

laughable, ludicrous, ridiculous, comic, comical mean provoking laughter or mirth.

laughable applies to anything occasioning laughter.

laughable attempts at skating

ludicrous suggests absurdity that excites both laughter and scorn.

a thriller with a ludicrous plot

ridiculous suggests extreme absurdity, foolishness, or contemptibility.

a ridiculous display of anger

comic applies especially to what arouses thoughtful amusement.

a comic character

comical applies to what arouses spontaneous hilarity.

a comical hat

Examples of ridiculous in a Sentence

His band mates take the stage in ridiculous elf costumes—black tights, pointy felt hats. Jason Cohen, Rolling Stone, 23 Feb. 1995
I also poked fun at those ridiculous fins on the '59 Cadillac. The '60, now, that was something else, and I've thought highly enough of the design to have owned two of them. Marshall Schuon, New York Times, 30 June 1991
Take into account the artist's intention and choice of means. This sounds so elementary that it seems ridiculous to bring it up … Leonardo Shapiro, Village Voice, 27 Aug. 1991
It was absurd for him to paint portraits for pay, and ridiculous to paint them for nothing; so he did not paint them at all. William Dean Howells, The Rise of Silas Lapham, 1885
She looks ridiculous in that outfit. It was a ridiculous suggestion. That's an absolutely ridiculous price for that sweater.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The fall and early winter are generally quite crowded, but now things are getting a bit ridiculous. Paul Tassi, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024 Her family is loathsome, her lifestyle is ridiculous, and her job is a joke. Matt Kamen, WIRED, 30 Nov. 2024 To protest that ‘The Insider’ is a dramatization, as if drama is automatically tantamount to falseness, is ridiculous. Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 29 Nov. 2024 Moana 2 started off as a Disney+ series, until the powers that be realized that trading enormous box-office returns for theoretical streaming growth was ridiculous and reworked the project into a theatrical release. Alison Willmore, Vulture, 26 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for ridiculous 

Word History

Etymology

Latin ridiculosus (from ridiculum jest, from neuter of ridiculus) or ridiculus, literally, laughable, from ridēre to laugh

First Known Use

1550, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ridiculous was in 1550

Dictionary Entries Near ridiculous

Cite this Entry

“Ridiculous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ridiculous. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

ridiculous

adjective
ri·​dic·​u·​lous rə-ˈdik-yə-ləs How to pronounce ridiculous (audio)
: causing or deserving ridicule : absurd, preposterous
ridiculously adverb
ridiculousness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on ridiculous

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!