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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 film mixes absurdist comedy and action, including a preposterous rooftop escape and a thrillingly disorienting car chase on desert roads.
—
Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Mar. 2026
One of the blog’s repeated and by all accounts preposterous anti-semitic rants was Boyne’s claim that the state’s family courts were controlled by a cabal of judges, lawyers and mental health professionals who were profiting by their decisions.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 10 Mar. 2026
The idea that a normal person could work to transform themselves into a model is preposterous, like spinning straw into gold.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026
Journalist Nelson George, who wrote about Jones for Billboard in 1983, finds the idea of Jones originating that pose preposterous.
—Greg Poole, Rolling Stone, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for preposterous
Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Mar. 2026
One of the blog’s repeated and by all accounts preposterous anti-semitic rants was Boyne’s claim that the state’s family courts were controlled by a cabal of judges, lawyers and mental health professionals who were profiting by their decisions.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 10 Mar. 2026
The idea that a normal person could work to transform themselves into a model is preposterous, like spinning straw into gold.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026
Journalist Nelson George, who wrote about Jones for Billboard in 1983, finds the idea of Jones originating that pose preposterous.
—Greg Poole, Rolling Stone, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for preposterous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preposterous
Adjective
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Which is an absurd list of options for a kid who barely played high school ball.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
27 Mar. 2026
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The question of whether California should abolish property taxes almost seems absurd.—
Jon Coupal,
Oc Register,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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And the hour-long results that premiere on the platform Friday are a mix of the cerebral and silly that audiences have come to expect from the Problemista filmmaker and former Saturday Night Live writer.—
Mikey O'Connell,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Mar. 2026
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Now, though, to look only at coaches with UNC already on their resume would be silly.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The meme may have been ridiculous, but Edward Hospital’s original goal — showing the public what robotic surgery could do — reached an audience far larger than a hospital marketing department could have planned for.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
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Villa’s ridiculous finishing hot streak ended abruptly, but their underlying numbers had also regressed during that time.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The goggles, the GPS address and the laptop — all of it was strong evidence supporting the bizarre story Denise and Aaron had been telling all along.—
Lauren Clark,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
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His YouTube page, once an online venue for his songs, was more recently dedicated to paranoid rants about his family members, some centering on his relationship with his grandfather, and others where Valdez displayed bizarre behavior like imitating Nazi soldiers.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Hatosy’s Titus is the Danforths’ disappointing fail son and the actor keeps his face in a delightfully foolish little pout.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
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Your fast response and decisive actions prevented this foolish criminal act from endangering the rest of the county.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The politicians who shut down the government are pathetic on both sides of the aisle.—
Joe Soucheray,
Twin Cities,
28 Mar. 2026
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His Floyd constantly straddles the line between sweet and pathetic, often falling off one side or the other.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The crossover energy is unreal.—
Hanna Wickes,
Sacbee.com,
27 Mar. 2026
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Dissociation is a common response to traumatic stress that can include amnesia, feelings that things are unreal or feeling disconnected from what is happening.—
Anne P. DePrince,
The Conversation,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Of course, sometimes the situation is more serious than stupid.—
Isaac Stanley-Becker,
The Atlantic,
31 Mar. 2026
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The American people are not stupid and will not accept more failure theater from Republicans in Congress.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Preposterous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preposterous. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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