ludicrous

adjective

lu·​di·​crous ˈlü-də-krəs 

1

: amusing or laughable through obvious absurdity, incongruity, exaggeration, or eccentricity

2

: meriting derisive laughter or scorn as absurdly inept, false, or foolish

ludicrously adverb

ludicrousness noun

Synonyms

• antic
• chucklesome
• comedic
• comic
• comical
• droll
• farcical
• funny
• hilarious
• humoristic
• humorous
• hysterical
• hysteric
• killing
• laughable
• ridiculous
• riotous
• risible
• screaming
• sidesplitting
• uproarious

Choose the Right Synonym for ludicrous

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 ludicrous in a Sentence

Some of this censorship is trivial, some is ludicrous, and some is breathtaking in its power to dumb down what children learn in school. —Diane Ravitch, The Language Police, 2003

The serious and the absurd have to be learnt together; but ludicrous theatrical buffoonery is fit only for foreigners. —Iris Murdoch, The Fire & the Sun, 1977

The girl didn't comment on the steepness, or the brambles, or the fact that it seemed ludicrous to cart furniture through an apparently endless forest. —Anne Tyler, The Clock Winder, 1972

Her teachers complained that instead of doing her sums she covered her slate with animals, the blank pages of her atlas were used to copy maps on, and caricatures of the most ludicrous description came fluttering out of all her books at unlucky moments. —Louisa May Alcott, Little Women, 1868-69

the ludicrous sight of their teacher in a Halloween costume

a ludicrous and easily detected attempt to forge his father's signature on a note to school

Recent Examples on the Web

The Platform watch on netflix The Pope’s Exorcist Year: 2023 Runtime: 1h 43m Director: Julius Avery Listen, this is no masterpiece, but there’s something fascinating about seeing an Oscar winner like Russell Crowe commit so completely to a B-movie this ludicrous. —Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 4 June 2024

While this year’s record-setting rainfall may feel like an excuse to reconsider the argument for removing thirsty turf, that’s ludicrous, says Pennes, who specializes in edible gardens and California native gardens. —Lisa Boone, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2024

Natalie Portman is Elizabeth, who, in a genuinely ludicrous plot mechanism, decides to bone up for her role playing Gracie in an upcoming movie by hanging out with the whole family for a few days like some kind of emotional vampire. —David Faris, theweek, 13 Feb. 2024

After all, the latest outburst from former President Donald Trump or Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, however ludicrous, and the latest Harry and Meghan gossip are guaranteed to attract an audience. —John Walcott, Foreign Affairs, 19 Mar. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Latin ludicrus, from ludus play, sport; perhaps akin to Greek loidoros abusive

First Known Use

1712, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

ludicrous

adjective

lu·​di·​crous ˈlüd-ə-krəs 

: laughable because of being ridiculous

ludicrously adverb

ludicrousness noun