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
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Recent Examples of preposterous
Tasked only with scoring, the 5-foot-11 Long Rife put up truly preposterous numbers at Union-Whitten High School.
—
Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2026
Which makes the city's lack of the viral soft serve margaritas feel preposterous.
—Eddie Fontanez, AZCentral.com, 26 Mar. 2026
One Boston city council member, Julia Mejia, is pushing a home rule petition allowing non-citizens to vote in elections, a preposterous prospect that is making the city a laughingstock.
—Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
The film mixes absurdist comedy and action, including a preposterous rooftop escape and a thrillingly disorienting car chase on desert roads.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for preposterous
Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2026
Which makes the city's lack of the viral soft serve margaritas feel preposterous.
—Eddie Fontanez, AZCentral.com, 26 Mar. 2026
One Boston city council member, Julia Mejia, is pushing a home rule petition allowing non-citizens to vote in elections, a preposterous prospect that is making the city a laughingstock.
—Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
The film mixes absurdist comedy and action, including a preposterous rooftop escape and a thrillingly disorienting car chase on desert roads.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for preposterous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preposterous
Adjective
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As usual, human progress gets the sublimely absurd Herzogian treatment, with modern and primordial sights and sounds becoming whole.—
Eric Kohn,
IndieWire,
24 Apr. 2026
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But the idea of using one for multiple hours every day, or of trying to socialize in real life while the people around me try to meet my digital avatar’s dead eyes, is absurd.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The manic, madcap, chaotic and silly stunt show was heavy on exposition to the delight of the fans who cheered the entrance of every One Piece character and laughed at the downfall of paper-thin goon.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
24 Apr. 2026
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And so a very silly conversation leads to a series of positions that are far from frivolous.—
Thomas Chatterton Williams,
The Atlantic,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
His per-touch production over the last two years at Notre Dame has been ridiculous.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2026
-
That’s ridiculous, at the same time.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Bischoff found the whole situation bizarre.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
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The results were colorful, bursting with shapes and patterns, but often totally bizarre.—
Gabe Montesanti,
PEOPLE,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Until recently, history has largely recognized this foolish law as a New Deal mistake.—
Stephen Moore,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
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Little purple blossoms appearing on my lawn mean my jacaranda tree will soon be in bloom, leaving its sticky remnants all over the sidewalk, lawn and anyone foolish enough to park underneath it.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Oc Register,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Even without Bosa, 20 sacks is a pathetic number for a franchise that through the years has included fearsome edge players such as Tommy Hart, Cedrick Hardman, Charles Haley and Aldon Smith.—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
16 Apr. 2026
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With Juan Soto still sidelined, Alvarez has recently moved up to fifth in a so-far pathetic Mets lineup.—
Michael Salfino,
New York Times,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Someone telling you that the person less than a foot away from you is dead is unreal.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
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The other key hallmark of Dark Star is its unreal speed—Magnée is off the charts with some tempos coming in at a death rattle of 240 bpms.—
Selena Fragassi,
SPIN,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Doxxing is just a form of stupid bullying, not free speech.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Healey must think ratepayers – who are burdened with some of the highest energy costs in the country – are pretty stupid and simple minded.—
Joe Battenfeld,
Boston Herald,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Preposterous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preposterous. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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