laughable

adjective

laugh·​able ˈla-fə-bəl 

ˈlä-

: of a kind to provoke laughter or sometimes derision : amusingly ridiculous

laughableness noun

laughably

ˈla-fə-blē 

ˈlä-

adverb

Synonyms

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

Choose the Right Synonym for laughable

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 laughable in a Sentence

His attempt at skiing was laughable.

the laughable, boisterous antics of the circus clowns

Recent Examples on the Web

Yet after the 90+ minutes of action on Sunday, that idea seems simply laughable. —Adam Digby, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025

That’s a sentence that would have been laughable just a couple of years ago. —Allison Morrow, CNN, 7 Mar. 2025

Instead, it’s undermined at every turn by the script’s baffling misunderstanding of its own tone and laughable performances. —James Grebey, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2025

That someone should be fired over it, that it's become this politicized and this weaponized, is not only ridiculous, but a little bit laughable. —Russel Honoré, Newsweek, 6 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for laughable

• affable

Kids Definition

laughable

adjective

laugh·​able ˈlaf-ə-bəl 

ˈlȧf-

: causing laughter or scorn : ridiculous

laughableness noun

laughably

-blē 

adverb