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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 If the size of the problem is much bigger than the ones from the first season, so is the ludicrous scale of most of the solutions. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2025 Better just to look at what the ludicrous spring had done, not saying much of it, speaking instead of anything else, certainly least of all trying to outlive it by saying there will be more—not now, but come next spring. Katie Ford, The Atlantic, 13 Apr. 2025 Other developers balked at the ludicrous timetable of less than two years. Christopher Helman, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025 The idea that we’re currently being visited by extraterrestrials is generally considered ludicrous, whether explicitly or implicitly, something truly extraordinary, and beyond serious consideration. David Chauvet, JSTOR Daily, 26 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ludicrous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ludicrous
Adjective
  • Our strength comes from funny stories and serious ones, too.
    Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
  • That’s funny to me — because back in ’09, no one would have thought that, right?
    Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 7 May 2025
Adjective
  • As such, the Stars’ best chance is not to get into another track meet like Thursday night’s ridiculous game, won 7-4 by the Avalanche.
    Pierre LeBrun, New York Times, 3 May 2025
  • Seeing Tristen accept both his mother’s request to stay in the game and the responsibility of leading his team to victory gives the ridiculous exercise that is Restaurant Wars a whole different weight.
    Caroline Framke, Vulture, 2 May 2025
Adjective
  • Some of immediate response was humorous and positive, signaling that he should be given a chance, while others critical, a sign of the times where memes can quickly take on a life of their own.
    Peter Suciu, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
  • The state prefers sans-serif fonts like Times New Roman or Arial, and signage must not give a humorous impression.
    Tribune Content Agency, Mercury News, 6 May 2025
Adjective
  • Once again, that means going to absurd lengths in the quest to facilitate banter between pilots, even if some of those attempts hilariously crash and burn.
    EW Staff, EW.com, 2 May 2025
  • Judge put up absurd numbers, hitting .427 with a 1.282 OPS, 10 home runs, 32 RBI and a 263 wRC+.
    Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 2 May 2025
Adjective
  • In the series, Cassandra is slightly younger than her counterpart in the book, and that partly had to do with Hawes, whose dramatic and comedic abilities were crucial to the role.
    Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2025
  • In the sequel to A Simple Favor, Lively returns as Emily Nelson alongside Anna Kendrick’s Stephanie Smothers in the comedic thriller, which premiered at South by Southwest on March 7.
    Angel Saunders, People.com, 2 May 2025
Adjective
  • But many will, in situations where they’re allowed to stretch out, go deep, get silly, or eat hot wings while trying to answer questions.
    Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2025
  • Have a Dance Party Clear the furniture, cue up a playlist with all of Mom's favorite hits (and a few silly, kid-friendly jams), and let loose.
    Laura Broadwell, Parents, 1 May 2025
Adjective
  • Rannells, who reprises his role as Stephanie's friend Darren, made headlines when promoting Another Simple Favor with an amusing dodge to a question hinting at Lively's legal dramas.
    Randall Colburn, EW.com, 1 May 2025
  • Braun cannot say the same for his amusing role in an instant classic Nuggets moment.
    Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Kenney-Silver delivers a touchingly nuanced performance as Anne, balanced on the fine line between sad as in devastated and sad as in pathetic.
    Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 1 May 2025
  • Marathon needs to be given every possible chance to succeed and making Bungie crunch to fix things and throwing it into the wolves as a fall release (one that’s literally on the same day as Borderlands 4, mind you) would be a pathetic excuse for support.
    Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ludicrous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ludicrous. Accessed 14 May. 2025.

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