ridiculous
adjective
ri·dic·u·lous
rə-ˈdi-kyə-ləs 
: arousing or deserving ridicule : extremely silly or unreasonable : absurd, preposterous
ridiculousness
noun
Synonyms
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.
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.
Recent Examples on the Web
The whole thing is ridiculous in the best way possible, and there’s an undeniable thrill to watching a man get shot out of a cannon while a wizard grooves to some power chords.
—Stephen Deusner, SPIN, 23 Apr. 2024
Biden is a villain, but the biggest villains are the colleges that charge ridiculous tuition.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2024
What’s ridiculous about the public image of El Paso is that our city has a low crime rate, affordable housing, nearby mountains, and a plentiful workforce.
—Andrea Adkins-Hutchins, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2024
Also, a person or an institution can look ridiculous in trying to be cool.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 4 Apr. 2024
As dramatic as the premise sounds, two comedians are at the helm, and the trailer promises plenty of ridiculous moments.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 4 Apr. 2024
From The Beatles to Brazilian funk, Beyoncé is pulling from a ridiculous range of influences on this album.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 3 Apr. 2024
In addition to Davis’ absence, Golden State’s ridiculous shooting makes Tuesday night tough to glean much from, too.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2024
Read More: 10 Surprising Facts About the 2024 Solar Eclipse
This was a weird concept, and many scientists thought Einstein’s ideas and equations were ridiculous.
—Rebecca Boyle, TIME, 8 Apr. 2024
Stephen Deusner, SPIN, 23 Apr. 2024
Biden is a villain, but the biggest villains are the colleges that charge ridiculous tuition.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2024
What’s ridiculous about the public image of El Paso is that our city has a low crime rate, affordable housing, nearby mountains, and a plentiful workforce.
—Andrea Adkins-Hutchins, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2024
Also, a person or an institution can look ridiculous in trying to be cool.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 4 Apr. 2024
As dramatic as the premise sounds, two comedians are at the helm, and the trailer promises plenty of ridiculous moments.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 4 Apr. 2024
From The Beatles to Brazilian funk, Beyoncé is pulling from a ridiculous range of influences on this album.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 3 Apr. 2024
In addition to Davis’ absence, Golden State’s ridiculous shooting makes Tuesday night tough to glean much from, too.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2024
Read More: 10 Surprising Facts About the 2024 Solar Eclipse
This was a weird concept, and many scientists thought Einstein’s ideas and equations were ridiculous.
—Rebecca Boyle, TIME, 8 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ridiculous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Ridiculous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ridiculous. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ridiculous
adjective
ri·dic·u·lous
rə-ˈdik-yə-ləs
: causing or deserving ridicule : absurd, preposterous
ridiculously
adverb
ridiculousness
noun
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