1
as in absurd
conceived or made without regard for reason or reality
the idea that extraterrestrials built the pyramids is preposterous
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2
as in silly
showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment
a preposterous suggestion to go swimming in this freezing weather
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3
as in ridiculous
so foolish or pointless as to be worthy of scornful laughter
the movie thriller had such a preposterous plot that we were on the edge of our seats snickering
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of preposterous
The idea the Broncos cannot incorporate dig, hook and leak routes is preposterous.
—
Troy Renck, Denver Post, 25 May 2026
To anyone familiar with high-dimensional geometry, the prospect would seem preposterous.
—Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 19 May 2026
The whole thing is frankly preposterous.
—Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 16 May 2026
That might be even more preposterous than his throwing a total of 40 pitches at least 100 mph, something that had never been done in a single game since pitch velocities began being tracked in 2008.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for preposterous
Troy Renck, Denver Post, 25 May 2026
To anyone familiar with high-dimensional geometry, the prospect would seem preposterous.
—Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 19 May 2026
The whole thing is frankly preposterous.
—Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 16 May 2026
That might be even more preposterous than his throwing a total of 40 pitches at least 100 mph, something that had never been done in a single game since pitch velocities began being tracked in 2008.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for preposterous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preposterous
Adjective
-
There is always the possibility that something absurd might occur — the equivalent of Neymar’s 2017 move to Paris Saint-Germain, for instance — but that’s extremely unlikely.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
-
Ironically, the fears of two Republicans advancing were driven by Democratic data vendor Paul Mitchell, who built a prediction machine using absurd inputs like betting odds and polls that cannot account for things like rape allegations.—
Matt Fleming,
Oc Register,
27 May 2026
Adjective
-
Through the fuzz and the bad camera angles emerges an extraordinary catalogue of dummies, flicks, and feints, a hodge-podge of silly tricks.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
-
To lose that would be silly now.—
Mikey O'Connell,
HollywoodReporter,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
And that it’s all tied together with the messy, fraught and sometimes ridiculous experience of being human.—
Alexandra Oliva
June 1,
Literary Hub,
1 June 2026
-
The sabotage accusation is ridiculous.—
Dan Zaksheske OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
That’s just a really bizarre back and forth to exist in.—
Hanif Abdurraqib,
New Yorker,
31 May 2026
-
As the story builds toward a violent showdown between the mourners and the town, the reader will be entranced by its surreal language and bizarre logic.—
Gabrielle Bellot,
Literary Hub,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
If the target was foolish enough to reuse passwords, credential thefts like these could enable the compromise of more important accounts.—
Rob Pegoraro,
PC Magazine,
3 June 2026
-
Backing the Cubs right now seems foolish.—
David Troy OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 May 2026
Adjective
-
By then, Thomsen says, the public perception had shifted from regarding it as tough and controversial to seeing it as desperate and pathetic.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
-
The plan involved discovering a long lost princess, hopping on a plane to London, breaking into a museum store room, and enlisting the help of a very pathetic historian.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 May 2026
Adjective
-
The situation only worsens after 9/11, the immediate, unreal impact of which Rivilis sharply captures with a steady pan across a classroom of stunned students, their faces in various states of stricken disbelief, if not simply in their hands.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
20 May 2026
-
But Miller’s first 11 appearances were unreal.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 May 2026
Adjective
-
And that was so arrogant and stupid on my part.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
-
At some point, Brandon Aiyuk has to learn that stupid decisions come with consequences.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Preposterous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preposterous. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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