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 of ridiculous in a Sentence

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Recent Examples on the Web In his first game as a true freshman at Oklahoma in October 2021, Williams replaced starter Spencer Rattler and led the Sooners from 21 points down to a ridiculous 55-48 win over rival Texas. —

Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune, 26 Oct. 2024 Zoom in: The runner-ups rounding out our top 5 are equally ridiculous: 🐶 Stitch, the circa early aughts cartoon alien dog. 🍓 Strawberry Shortcake, the character from the '80s. —

Karri Peifer, Axios, 25 Oct. 2024 Still, the story by Mitchell Smith, the screenplay by Tod Hackett, and the ridiculous final product that ultimately got made are worth revisiting. —

Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 25 Oct. 2024 Consider how ridiculous Uber's concept seemed at first—letting strangers drive you around. —

Naren Manoharan, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for ridiculous

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ridiculous

Adjective

Jokić put up an absurd 29 points, 18 rebounds and 16 assists in the Denver Nuggets’ 144-139 overtime win over the Brooklyn Nets, becoming only the second player in NBA history and the first in 62 years to reach that stat line.

Matias Grez, CNN, 30 Oct. 2024
The challenge with Death Becomes Her, as Chiang and Ralston have explained, was creating lifelike human skin for the film’s absurd body horror.

Jack Smart, People.com, 27 Oct. 2024