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ridiculous

adjective
ri·​dic·​u·​lous | \ rÉ™-ˈdi-kyÉ™-lÉ™s How to pronounce ridiculous (audio) \

Definition of ridiculous

: arousing or deserving ridicule : extremely silly or unreasonable : absurd, preposterous
Other Words from ridiculous Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Example Sentences Learn More about ridiculous

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Other Words from ridiculous

ridiculousness noun

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 She looks ridiculous in that outfit. It was a ridiculous suggestion. That's an absolutely ridiculous price for that sweater.
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Recent Examples on the Web

 This is 2019 and far, far more ridiculous things are happening in the world. — Allyson Reedy, The Know, "These dog-friendly Colorado restaurants have special menus just for your pup," 7 Aug. 2019 Jimmy Graham said that Johnson's actions were ridiculous. — Matt Young, Houston Chronicle, "Texans corner Lonnie Johnson Jr. held out of practice after flap," 6 Aug. 2019 O'Rourke said that was ridiculous and reiterated his passion for El Pasoans. — Dallas News, "Beto O'Rourke on El Paso shooting: 'It just crushed me'," 5 Aug. 2019 In his signature motorcycle jacket and t-shirt—and jorts—the Fonz, played by a young Henry Winkler, looked ridiculous. — Lila Maclellan, Quartz at Work, "Emmy-nominated Henry Winkler does not regret jumping the shark," 30 July 2019 Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson looks entirely ridiculous. — Christina Boyle, Los Angeles Times, "Boris Johnson, one of Britain’s most eccentric politicians, on track to be next prime minister," 22 July 2019 Moreover, her dismissal of the factors that might cause women not to write letters to the editor is frankly ridiculous. — Colin Barrett, Harper's magazine, "Letters," 22 July 2019 Here’s the bad news: Netflix’s Witcher adaptation still looks ridiculous. — Hayden Dingman, PCWorld, "This week in games: A Cities: Skylines com-poo-ter, a new story for PUBG, and a new Valve game," 19 July 2019 Favreau's photorealism efforts would probably look ridiculous if the main characters' faces turned into exaggerated CGI explosions of emotion as soon as someone piped up. — Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, "Lion King remake review: Roaring visuals, but the execution is a hairball," 12 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ridiculous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of ridiculous

1550, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for ridiculous

Latin ridiculosus (from ridiculum jest, from neuter of ridiculus) or ridiculus, literally, laughable, from ridēre to laugh

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More Definitions for ridiculous

ridiculous

adjective
How to pronounce ridiculous (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of ridiculous

: extremely silly or unreasonable

See the full definition for ridiculous in the English Language Learners Dictionary

ridiculous

adjective
ri·​dic·​u·​lous | \ rÉ™-ˈdi-kyÉ™-lÉ™s How to pronounce ridiculous (audio) \

Kids Definition of ridiculous

: causing or deserving ridicule : very silly or unreasonable

Other Words from ridiculous

ridiculously adverb

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More from Merriam-Webster on ridiculous

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with ridiculous

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for ridiculous

Spanish Central: Translation of ridiculous

Nglish: Translation of ridiculous for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of ridiculous for Arabic Speakers

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