preposterous

adjective

pri-ˈpä-st(ə-)rəs How to pronounce preposterous (audio)
Definition of preposterousnext
1
as in absurd
conceived or made without regard for reason or reality the idea that extraterrestrials built the pyramids is preposterous

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in silly
showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment a preposterous suggestion to go swimming in this freezing weather

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in ridiculous
so foolish or pointless as to be worthy of scornful laughter the movie thriller had such a preposterous plot that we were on the edge of our seats snickering

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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 preposterous Fazio’s announcement undermined one more preposterous claim by the shrinking figure that is Diamantis. — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 19 Sep. 2026 The thought of the SEC expelling one of its charter members after 94 years of inclusion seems preposterous. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026 During his first tenure, Verrett represented the very type of behavior Magnus had spent the past few years weeding out, including deranged posts, unprofessional direct messages to reporters, and preposterous race talk. — Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 9 Sep. 2026 The expectations for her arrival to the league in 2024 were preposterous; no athlete could have achieved what was mandated of Clark. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for preposterous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preposterous
  1. absurd
  2. silly
  3. ridiculous
  4. bizarre
  5. foolish
  6. pathetic
  7. unreal
  8. stupid
Adjective
  • Alongside Kardashian, Watts, Nash-Betts and Paulson, the series stars Teyana Taylor, Matthew Noszka and Glenn Close, who all one-up each other with deliriously absurd lines of dialogue.
    — Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The title comes from a phrase that became part of his creative vocabulary and began appearing in sketches whenever an absurd situation called for a perfectly incredulous response.
    — Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of absurd
Adjective
  • With so many of its procedural plots echoing and sometimes directly referencing real-world events, Cupertino is more substantive and less inherently silly than Elsbeth.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Almost sounds silly now, with the way the team has stumbled and bumbled its way through the first four games.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of silly
Adjective
  • Part of me feels a little bad about making people like Probyn, who are insanely talented, do such ridiculous things, but that’s sort of the gig.
    — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 8 Oct. 2026
  • In fact, even before the show actually starts, Bob can be exhausted, having been awake since some ridiculous hour.
    — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of ridiculous
Adjective
  • But, pounded thin, breaded, and fried, served under lashings of sweet-sharp blackberry sauce, with a confetti of whole blackberries and leaves of mint, the lamb version was brilliant and bizarre, a symphony of strong-willed flavors.
    — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
  • There was such a bizarre synergy between that film and being the same namesake as this doll.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of bizarre
Adjective
  • Soaking the suburbs over parking is reminiscent of other foolish, revenue-grabbing ideas, such as a congestion tax aimed at outsiders as a way to gin up money to cover Chicago’s ever-present budget black hole.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2026
  • With Oracle having lost more than $20 billion in stock-market value today, this appears to be penny-wise and pound foolish.
    — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of foolish
Adjective
  • The Chargers' offense mustered a pathetic 14 points all game.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 21 Sep. 2026
  • It’s also brilliantly written as a futile, pathetic rebellion by men with zero agency or purpose in their own lives.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of pathetic
Adjective
  • Chihuahua, Mexico Spring 1983 Filming out in the Chihuahuan Desert is actually chilly in the morning, but when the sun comes up, the heat is unreal.
    — Kyle Maclachlan, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The creation of that unreal enemy depended on a complex belief structure regulating church congregations, especially their least conforming and most vulnerable members.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of unreal
Adjective
  • Trump’s super intelligence rebrand can ultimately be read in a couple ways, though arguably neither are particularly nuanced or incisive — just further indicative of the daily deluge of stupid.
    — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Once upon a time, the idea that the world was growing stupider was mostly confined to the realm of dyspeptic reactionary polemic.
    — James Marriott, Washington Post, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of stupid

Browse Nearby Words

prepossessions
preposterous
preposterousness
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Cite this Entry

“Preposterous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preposterous. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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