1
2

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective ludicrous differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of ludicrous are comical, comic, laughable, and ridiculous. While all these words mean "provoking laughter or mirth," ludicrous suggests absurdity that excites both laughter and scorn.

a thriller with a ludicrous plot

When can comic be used instead of ludicrous?

While the synonyms comic and ludicrous are close in meaning, comic applies especially to what arouses thoughtful amusement.

a comic character

Where would comical be a reasonable alternative to ludicrous?

In some situations, the words comical and ludicrous are roughly equivalent. However, comical applies to what arouses spontaneous hilarity.

a comical hat

When is laughable a more appropriate choice than ludicrous?

The meanings of laughable and ludicrous largely overlap; however, laughable applies to anything occasioning laughter.

laughable attempts at skating

When could ridiculous be used to replace ludicrous?

The synonyms ridiculous and ludicrous are sometimes interchangeable, but ridiculous suggests extreme absurdity, foolishness, or contemptibility.

a ridiculous display of anger

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of ludicrous The level of mayhem feels perfectly ripped from the films, especially the recent Daniel Craig tenure, although with some more ludicrous feats that harken back to the slapstick elements of earlier entries. Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2025 Gilbert has always made hay from her own blind spots and ludicrous proclivities. Jia Tolentino, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025 The second, a sideways pass hit behind Moises Caicedo that also fell for Eze in the 69th minute, set up a three-on-two break for Palace that Eze scuppered by immediately attempting a ludicrous shot from 40 yards. Liam Twomey, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2025 Things get positively ludicrous in Guest Actor in a Comedy Series, where nods for The Studio’s Bryan Cranston, Dave Franco, Ron Howard, Anthony Mackie, and Martin Scorsese playing versions of themselves account for five of six nominations. Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 9 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ludicrous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ludicrous
Adjective
  • Above all, the film is simply very funny.
    Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 2025
  • Funerals are not funny and responsible broadcasters always separate murder from mirth.
    Dave Smith, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The 2016 World Series champion walked in free agency that offseason to the Philadelphia Phillies where he's produced at a ridiculous level on a perennial National League contender.
    Tim Crowley, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
  • Like his Washington, Bargatze’s Farnsworth regaled a trio of underlings (SNL cast members Bowen Yang, Mikey Day, and James Austin Johnson) with ridiculous yet accurate predictions for the future, in this case of TV.
    Judy Berman, Time, 15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • This year’s Best Picture winner Anora could be classified as a romantic dramedy of sorts, and other recent noms in the category, like American Fiction, Barbie and winner Everything Everywhere all at Once, certainly have humorous throughlines.
    Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 21 Sep. 2025
  • Chan, a Poway resident, writes about family and community life and shares humorous views of topics of the day.
    Wayne Chan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Larsen makes Didi’s absurd actions feel credible, something a woman frustrated with her own life would do, in haste, on behalf of another.
    Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 2025
  • Tim Dollar, a Kansas City attorney who represented the family of one of Biscari’s crash victims, said the union’s argument that Biscari was disciplined unfairly compared to other firefighters was absurd.
    Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The project has been described as a comedic version of Falling Down, the 1993 drama directed by Joel Schumacher that starred Michael Douglas as a man who hits his breaking point while trying to get to his daughter’s birthday.
    Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 22 Sep. 2025
  • And Sam Haygarth and Jordan Alexandra are both really funny and biting and creative in their comedic style.
    Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 22 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Teenagers with faces painted green — some with blow up green sumo-wrestler suits — and mountains of silly string take over the streets.
    Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 22 Sep. 2025
  • What made the moment extra-special, though, was seeing Noah's silly side shine through.
    Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Hacking a pre-Internet console Making this amusing amalgam of past and present technology possible required some clever engineering.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025
  • DeMarco was also entetaining with his amusing banter in between songs while encouraging his New York fans to clap and wave their arms.
    David Chiu, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Jimmy Kimmel is a pathetic hate monger.
    Dave Smith, Fortune, 18 Sep. 2025
  • The festival was washed out by weather, promised luxury accommodations and food were nowhere to be found (except for some pathetic cheese sandwiches), and guests only stayed one night of what was supposed to be a two-week experience.
    Greta Cross, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ludicrous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ludicrous. Accessed 23 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on ludicrous

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!