risible

adjective

ris·​i·​ble ˈri-zə-bəl How to pronounce risible (audio)
1
a
: capable of laughing
b
: disposed to laugh
2
: arousing or provoking laughter
especially : laughable
3
: associated with, relating to, or used in laughter
risible muscles
risibly adverb

Did you know?

Say “cheese”! Now say thank you to the risorius muscles near the corners of your mouth for helping you smile. You might find this exercise a bit ridiculous—risible, even—but we’re here to explain that there is no need for derision; it’s for a wordy reason. Risible, ridiculous, derision, and risorius all come from the Latin verb ridēre, meaning “to laugh.” This etymology helps make the meaning of risible clear; something is described as risible (such as saying “cheese” out loud to yourself while looking at your phone/computer) when it arouses or provokes laughter. But just as its synonym laughable often describes things deserving not just of laughter but of eye-rolling scorn, risible is frequently applied to that which merits both sneer and chortle, scoff and guffaw. Words are funny like that.

Examples of risible in a Sentence

The suggestion was downright risible. a risible comment that made the whole class laugh
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.
For the vast majority, the idea of refreshing is risible. George Caulkin, New York Times, 7 July 2025 The risible ending lets down both actors, each of whom give it their all (especially Glusman) while the screenplay feels like there are chunks of character motivations and development tossed into the trash. Randy Myers, Mercury News, 4 July 2025 The risible final montage casts Brooker in a moralist light befitting Mother Hen, leaving us with a storybook fable, the moral of which is to not check our damn phones while behind the wheel. 29. Charles Bramesco, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2025 Kagame’s claims that the FDLR poses a threat to Rwanda are similarly risible. Michela Wrong, Foreign Affairs, 13 Apr. 2023 See All Example Sentences for risible

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin risibilis, from Latin risus, past participle of ridēre to laugh

First Known Use

1557, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of risible was in 1557

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Cite this Entry

“Risible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/risible. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

risible

adjective
ris·​i·​ble ˈriz-ə-bəl How to pronounce risible (audio)
1
: able to laugh
2
: arousing laughter : funny
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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