If you say that something or someone is ridiculous, you mean that they are very foolish.
It is ridiculous to suggest we are having a romance.
It was an absolutely ridiculous decision.
Synonyms: laughable, stupid, incredible, silly More Synonyms of ridiculous
ridiculous in British English
(rɪˈdɪkjʊləs)
adjective
worthy of or exciting ridicule; absurd, preposterous, laughable, or contemptible
Derived forms
ridiculously (riˈdiculously)
adverb
ridiculousness (riˈdiculousness)
noun
Word origin
C16: from Latin rīdiculōsus, from rīdēre to laugh
ridiculous in American English
(rɪˈdɪkjələs)
adjective
deserving ridicule
SIMILAR WORDS: abˈsurd
Derived forms
ridiculously (riˈdiculously)
adverb
ridiculousness (riˈdiculousness)
noun
Word origin
L ridiculosus (< ridiculum: see ridicule) or ridiculus
Examples of 'ridiculous' in a sentence
ridiculous
We aspired to something ridiculous with this.
The Sun (2017)
It's taken me a while to come round to what originally looked a fairly ridiculous notion.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
And if you have that background, they can't go round saying these ridiculous things.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Yet by losing his temper he was making himself look ridiculous.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Political pundits are unwilling to accept that the real reason can be anything like as ridiculous.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Your lively imagination will suggest other ridiculous scenarios that may work better for you.
Hopkins, Tom The Guide to Greatness in Sales (1994)
People say the most ridiculous but breathtaking things.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
It was a celebration of all that was utterly ridiculous and absurd and great about pop music.
John Harris THE LAST PARTY: Britpop, Blair and the demise of English rock (2003)
Can anything be more ridiculous or more foolish?
Christianity Today (2000)
In that straw hat and that ridiculous set of pyjamas.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Why would you put out something so utterly ridiculous?
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
We despise politicians who look naive or ridiculous.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
It would be ridiculous to say anything other than that.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Perhaps it was vanity for they do look ridiculous.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
All this is ridiculous and laughable.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
To us that seems absolutely ridiculous.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
The programme now wears all its production values like a vast and ridiculous Ascot hat.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
You can't find anything ridiculous in him.
George Eliot Daniel Deronda (1876)
We find them faintly ridiculous, laughable rather than laudable and have a strong desire to puncture their pomposity.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
He said: 'It is utterly ridiculous.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
She said: 'It was ridiculous.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
I began by talking about the importance of laughter and a sense of humour, and the need to recognize and embrace the ridiculous and the absurd.
Bain, Roly Fools Rush In - A Call to Christian Clowning (1993)
Quotations
It is only one step from the sublime to the ridiculousNapoleon Bonaparte
The sublime and the ridiculous are often so nearly related, that it is difficult to class them separately. One step above the sublime, makes the ridiculous; and one step abovethe ridiculous, makes the sublime againThomas PaineThe Age of Reason
In other languages
ridiculous
British English: ridiculous /rɪˈdɪkjʊləs/ ADJECTIVE
If you say that something or someone is ridiculous, you mean that they are very foolish.
The idea is ridiculous.
American English: ridiculous
Arabic: تافِه
Brazilian Portuguese: ridículo
Chinese: 荒谬的
Croatian: smiješan
Czech: směšný
Danish: latterlig
Dutch: belachelijk
European Spanish: ridículo
Finnish: naurettava
French: ridicule
German: lächerlich
Greek: γελοίος
Italian: ridicolo
Japanese: ばかげた
Korean: 웃기는
Norwegian: latterlig
Polish: śmieszny
European Portuguese: ridículo
Romanian: ridicol
Russian: смехотворный
Latin American Spanish: ridículo
Swedish: löjlig
Thai: น่าหัวเราะ
Turkish: gülünç
Ukrainian: безглуздий
Vietnamese: lố bịch
Chinese translation of 'ridiculous'
ridiculous
(rɪˈdɪkjuləs)
adj
荒谬(謬)的 (huāngmiù de)
(adjective)
Definition
worthy of or causing ridicule
It was an absolutely ridiculous decision.
Synonyms
laughable
She claimed that the allegations were `laughable'.
stupid
I wouldn't call it art. It's just stupid and tasteless.
You won't go and do anything stupid, will you?
incredible
silly
That's a silly thing to say.
outrageous
absurd
They go to absurd lengths just to avoid paying a few pounds.
foolish
It would be foolish to raise hopes unnecessarily.
unbelievable
hilarious
ludicrous
It's a completely ludicrous idea.
preposterous
The whole idea was preposterous.
farcical
a farcical nine months' jail sentence
comical
The whole situation suddenly struck her as being comical.
zany
nonsensical
It seemed to me that Sir Robert's arguments were nonsensical.
derisory
I was being paid a derisory amount of money.
inane
He always had this inane grin.
risible (formal)
His claim is risible for its patent untruth.
contemptible
cockamamie (slang, mainly US)
Opposites
serious
,
bright
,
smart
,
wise
,
reasonable
,
clever
,
intelligent
,
sensible
,
rational
,
logical
,
prudent
,
sane
,
solemn
,
well-thought-out
,
sagacious
Quotations
It is only one step from the sublime to the ridiculous [Napoleon Bonaparte]The sublime and the ridiculous are often so nearly related, that it is difficult to class them separately. One step above the sublime, makes the ridiculous; and one step above the ridiculous, makes the sublime again [Thomas Paine – The Age of Reason]
Additional synonyms
in the sense of absurd
Definition
obviously senseless or illogical
They go to absurd lengths just to avoid paying a few pounds.
Synonyms
ridiculous,
crazy (informal),
silly,
incredible,
outrageous,
foolish,
unbelievable,
daft (informal),
hilarious,
ludicrous,
meaningless,
unreasonable,
irrational,
senseless,
preposterous,
laughable,
funny,
stupid,
farcical,
illogical,
incongruous,
comical,
zany,
idiotic,
nonsensical,
inane,
dumb-ass (slang),
cockamamie (slang, US)
in the sense of comical
Definition
causing amusement, often because of being ludicrous or ridiculous
The whole situation suddenly struck her as being comical.
Synonyms
funny,
entertaining,
comic,
silly,
amusing,
ridiculous,
diverting,
absurd,
hilarious,
ludicrous,
humorous,
priceless (informal),
laughable,
farcical,
whimsical,
zany,
droll,
risible (formal),
side-splitting
in the sense of derisory
Definition
too small or inadequate to be considered seriously
I was being paid a derisory amount of money.
Synonyms
ridiculous,
insulting,
outrageous,
ludicrous,
preposterous,
laughable,
contemptible
Synonyms of 'ridiculous'
ridiculous
Explore 'ridiculous' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of farcical
a farcical nine months' jail sentence
Synonyms
ludicrous,
ridiculous,
absurd,
preposterous,
laughable,
nonsensical,
derisory,
risible (formal)
in the sense of foolish
Definition
very silly, unwise, or absurd
It would be foolish to raise hopes unnecessarily.
Synonyms
unwise,
silly,
absurd,
rash,
unreasonable,
senseless,
short-sighted,
ill-advised,
foolhardy,
nonsensical,
inane,
indiscreet,
ill-judged,
ill-considered,
imprudent,
unintelligent,
asinine,
injudicious,
incautious
in the sense of inane
Definition
senseless or silly
He always had this inane grin.
Synonyms
senseless,
stupid,
silly,
empty,
daft (informal),
worthless,
futile,
trifling,
frivolous,
mindless,
goofy (informal),
idiotic,
vacuous,
fatuous,
puerile,
vapid,
unintelligent,
asinine,
imbecilic,
devoid of intelligence
in the sense of ludicrous
Definition
absurd or ridiculous
It's a completely ludicrous idea.
Synonyms
ridiculous,
crazy (informal),
absurd,
preposterous,
odd,
funny,
comic,
silly,
laughable,
farcical,
outlandish,
incongruous,
comical,
zany,
nonsensical,
droll,
burlesque,
cockamamie (slang, US)
in the sense of nonsensical
It seemed to me that Sir Robert's arguments were nonsensical.
Synonyms
senseless,
crazy (informal),
silly,
ridiculous,
absurd,
foolish,
ludicrous,
meaningless,
irrational,
incomprehensible,
inane,
asinine,
cockamamie (slang, US)
in the sense of preposterous
Definition
utterly absurd
The whole idea was preposterous.
Synonyms
ridiculous,
bizarre,
incredible,
outrageous,
shocking,
impossible,
extreme,
crazy (informal),
excessive,
absurd,
foolish,
ludicrous,
extravagant,
unthinkable,
unreasonable,
irrational,
monstrous,
senseless,
out of the question,
laughable,
exorbitant,
nonsensical,
risible (formal),
asinine,
cockamamie (slang, US)
in the sense of risible
Definition
ridiculous
His claim is risible for its patent untruth.
Synonyms
ridiculous,
ludicrous,
laughable,
farcical,
funny,
amusing,
absurd,
hilarious,
humorous,
comical,
droll,
side-splitting,
rib-tickling (informal)
in the sense of silly
Definition
behaving in a foolish or childish way
That's a silly thing to say.
Synonyms
stupid,
ridiculous,
absurd,
daft,
inane,
childish,
immature,
senseless,
frivolous,
preposterous,
giddy,
goofy (informal),
idiotic,
dozy (British, informal),
fatuous,
witless,
puerile,
brainless,
asinine,
dumb-ass (slang),
cockamamie (slang, US),
dopy (slang)
in the sense of stupid
Definition
trivial, silly, or childish
I wouldn't call it art. It's just stupid and tasteless.You won't go and do anything stupid, will you?