risible

adjective

ˈri-zə-bəl How to pronounce risible (audio)
Definition of risiblenext
1
as in funny
causing or intended to cause laughter a risible comment that made the whole class laugh

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ridiculous
so foolish or pointless as to be worthy of scornful laughter the idea that people are meant to have wings is risible

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 risible His risible evocations of this brand of male psyche exposes emotional paralysis like a raw nerve. — Daniel Felsenthal, Pitchfork, 7 Apr. 2026 Some in the audience find this risible. — Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026 The public language may seem risible, but that is only a surface-level thing. — Nick Miller, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for risible
Recent Examples of Synonyms for risible
  1. funny
  2. ridiculous
  3. humorous
  4. absurd
  5. comedic
  6. silly
  7. amusing
  8. pathetic
Adjective
  • Divorced from the context of a map, Texas' congressional districts might just look like a collection of funny shapes.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026
  • China did not find anything funny about the French star laughing at a meme of Mao, the communist dictator whose regime resulted in tens of millions of deaths.
    — Mark Harris OutKick, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of funny
Adjective
  • One woman who grew up in China during Mao's Cultural Revolution is not only pushing back against her home country's reaction, but also calling out how blatantly ridiculous the situation is.
    — Mark Harris OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The game includes a ridiculous campaign centered around a new Korean civil war.
    — Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of ridiculous
Adjective
  • The re-enactments bring up painful memories, but also an inappropriate and humorous side of Jolanda.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 30 Oct. 2026
  • What readers are saying The conversation explores a variety of humorous and satirical takes on the themes presented in the opinion piece.
    — Matt Davies, Washington Post, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of humorous
Adjective
  • Maybe that’s an absurd quibble, though, for a series that is proudly manufactured from the very beginning.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 28 Oct. 2026
  • There's no luck in baseball, because everything must have an explanation, no matter how absurd.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of absurd
Adjective
  • His breakout comedic dark fantasy comic series Barbaric has sold more than one million copies and is currently in development as a series at Netflix.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Geffen had his eyes set instead on a comedic actor from Canada.
    — Andrew Buss, Vanity Fair, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of comedic
Adjective
  • The Wu-Tang Clan's mastermind has carved out a second career directing mid-level action flicks, and last year's One Spoon of Chocolate is a solid if silly movie.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Most phone apps look silly this way, especially those still running as standard iPhone apps, which look normal but with lots of black padding on either side.
    — Nilay Patel, The Verge, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of silly
Adjective
  • Still, the episodes move along so fast and the bursts of talent emerge with enough frequency that Minimum Wage makes for an amusing, energetic, instantly disposable binge.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Some participants appreciate the light-hearted and good-natured humor, expressing gratitude and finding it timely and amusing.
    — Edith Pritchett, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of amusing
Adjective
  • His pathetic, dangerous charade reminds me of an infamous voter fraud case from 30 years ago.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • There’s nothing more important than defeating his pathetic opponent, Mike Collins.
    — NBC news, NBC news, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of pathetic

Browse Nearby Words

rise (to)
risible
rising
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Cite this Entry

“Risible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/risible. Accessed 3 Nov. 2026.

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