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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective ludicrous differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of ludicrous are comical, comic, laughable, and ridiculous. While all these words mean "provoking laughter or mirth," ludicrous suggests absurdity that excites both laughter and scorn.

a thriller with a ludicrous plot

When can comic be used instead of ludicrous?

While the synonyms comic and ludicrous are close in meaning, comic applies especially to what arouses thoughtful amusement.

a comic character

Where would comical be a reasonable alternative to ludicrous?

In some situations, the words comical and ludicrous are roughly equivalent. However, comical applies to what arouses spontaneous hilarity.

a comical hat

When is laughable a more appropriate choice than ludicrous?

The meanings of laughable and ludicrous largely overlap; however, laughable applies to anything occasioning laughter.

laughable attempts at skating

When could ridiculous be used to replace ludicrous?

The synonyms ridiculous and ludicrous are sometimes interchangeable, but ridiculous suggests extreme absurdity, foolishness, or contemptibility.

a ridiculous display of anger

Example 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 ludicrous But the notion that a cartoon could not make a similar point was ludicrous. Ruth Marcus, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2025 Any film that can transform so self-assuredly into a romantic thriller is worth your time, no matter how ludicrous its premise. Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 10 Mar. 2025 February, on the contrary, was ludicrous, delivering a deluge of life-consuming experiences, from Civilization VII’s grand strategy soap opera to Kingdom Come: Deliverance II’s medieval RPG of beguiling, maddening detail. Lewis Gordon, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2025 This is where things start getting even more ludicrous. Dimitar 'mix' Mihov, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ludicrous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ludicrous
Adjective
  • What happened was that all of this comedy spoken in Kansai-ben was understood nationwide as being funny.
    Ollie Barder, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025
  • Everyone thought this was very funny, including, to her credit, Kate.
    Stephanie Nolasco, Fox News, 21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • This hate against transgender people is so ridiculous.
    John Russell, People.com, 28 Mar. 2025
  • To be fair, a lot of things are ridiculous these days.
    Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • An accomplished author, Reiner also penned more than 20 books, many of which were humorous memoirs.
    Angela Andaloro, People.com, 23 Mar. 2025
  • Molesworth’s paper examined whether different styles of safety videos (standard, humorous, and movie-themed) impact retention of key safety messages.
    thehustle.co, thehustle.co, 21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • With stories of family chaos, missteps and her devoted dog Chunk, Chelsea hilariously tackles the world’s most absurd travel situations.
    Ashlee Conour, Chicago Tribune, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Every major hospital show has confronted this tonal clash throughout its run; stalwarts such as ER and Grey’s Anatomy have depended on ever larger and more absurd set pieces (tank invasions, ferry disasters, helicopter crashes) to ratchet up the action.
    David Sims, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The Toxic Avenger comedic horror film directed by Macon Blair and starring Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones), debuted at Fantastic Fest to critical acclaim (and a 92% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes).
    Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 27 Mar. 2025
  • Nick Frost, known for his turns in Edgar Wright’s comedic Cornetto trilogy, is nearing a deal to play Rubeus Hagrid, the kindly half-giant groundskeeper of Hogwarts, Variety has confirmed with sources.
    J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Moments that may seem silly or insignificant to others — like sharing a particular greeting, teasing each other in a familiar way or even speaking to each other in silly, baby-ish voices — can be great sources of comfort and familiarity for partners.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
  • The industry has seen its fair share of terrible ideas, from the downright bizarre to the silly.
    Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Nothing would be more amusing than this saga continuing into the Final Four.
    Baltimore Sun staff, Baltimore Sun, 27 Mar. 2025
  • Nick’s fixation on Sawyer’s luxe truck was understandable and consistently amusing.
    Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 24 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The image of the 77-year-old Green screaming and shaking his cane at the president was partly disturbing but mostly pathetic.
    Matthew Continetti, National Review, 8 Mar. 2025
  • Michael Gandolfini pops up as a slimy Fisk mayoral staffer who wouldn’t look out of place in this magazine’s recent cover featuring the new young right, and his playing both pathetic and vaguely sympathetic is very fun to watch.
    Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ludicrous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ludicrous. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.

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