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
wearing a ridiculous outfit
a ridiculous price for that little house
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.
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.
My child comes home from her other parent’s house with stories that sound absolutely ridiculous. Jann Blackstone, Boston Herald, 15 Feb. 2026 Richardson tried to make a ridiculous spinning dunk but couldn’t get the ball around the side of the backboard. Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 15 Feb. 2026 Replacement players have been ridiculous for years, going back to 2009-10, when Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback David Garrard made the grade by going 7-9, throwing 15 TDs with 10 interceptions and fumbling a league-worst 14 times. Tim Graham, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2026 Senate Democrats and a couple of Republicans voted with Bernie Sanders to claw back DHS’ ridiculous $75 billion and redirect it to restore Medicaid cuts. Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2026 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ridiculous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ridiculous. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.

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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