ridiculous

adjective

ri·​dic·​u·​lous rə-ˈdi-kyə-ləs How to pronounce ridiculous (audio)
Synonyms of ridiculousnext
: arousing or deserving ridicule : extremely silly or unreasonable : absurd, preposterous
ridiculousness noun

Synonyms

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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
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.
Brendan Gallagher scored a goal in that game on the power play, taking a ridiculous feed from Andrei Markov in the slot and converting, blowing the roof off the building. — Arpon Basu, The Athletic, 16 Mar. 2025 Bam Adebayo only taking seven shots each in the last two games is ridiculous. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2025 Imagine how confused ordinary taxpayers are by this ridiculous, irresponsible, intergovernmental spat. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2025 President Trump also reiterated that Canada should become the 51st state, an idea that has been rejected by 85 percent of Canadians in a recent poll, and is ridiculous for a long list of reasons this Canadian reporter does not want to get into. — Karen K. Ho, ARTnews.com, 12 Mar. 2025 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

Phrases Containing ridiculous

Rhymes for ridiculous

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Browse Nearby Words

ridiculous
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Cite this Entry

“Ridiculous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ridiculous. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

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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

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Nglish: Translation of ridiculous for Spanish Speakers

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