Standard Lemma guide

ridiculous

adj · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Canada, UK: /ɹɪˈdɪk.jʊ.ləs/
  • Canada, UK: /ɹiːˈdɪk.jʊ.ləs/
  • US: /ɹɪˈdɪk.jə.ləs/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Wales: /ɹɪˈdɪk.ləs/
  • rhymes with -ɪkjələs
  • CMU ARPABET: R IH0 D IH1 K Y AH0 L AH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Deserving of ridicule; foolish, absurd.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • That hairstyle looks ridiculous.
  • It's ridiculous to charge so much for a little souvenir.
  • You make ridiculous statements a lot, like saying that UFOs are real.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: silly, willy nilly, frivolous, goofy, funny, humorous, absurd, odd, surreal, unreasonable, Laputan, cockamamie, cockeyed, farcical, foolish, full of it, irrational, inconsistent, incongruous, jabberwocky, laughable, ludicrous, nonsensical, preposterous, priceless, rich, ridiculous, skimble-skamble

Antonyms: straightforward, serious, somber, solemn

2

adj

Meaning 2

Astonishing, extreme, unbelievable.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

Examples

  • In a ridiculous feat of engineering, the team can calculate the difference in arrival time to within one-tenth of a nanosecond.
  • Gaines is a classic motor player with a low center of gravity and ridiculous strength.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

inspiring scornful pity- Dashiell Hammett

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • how silly an ardent and unsuccessful wooer can be especially if he is getting on in years

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: pathetic, silly

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

broadly or extravagantly humorous; resembling farce

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the wild farcical exuberance of a clown
  • ludicrous green hair

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: farcical, ludicrous

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

incongruous;inviting ridicule

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the absurd excuse that the dog ate his homework
  • that's a cockeyed idea
  • ask a nonsensical question and get a nonsensical answer
  • a contribution so small as to be laughable
  • it is ludicrous to call a cottage a mansion
  • a preposterous attempt to turn back the pages of history
  • her conceited assumption of universal interest in her rather dull children was ridiculous

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: absurd, cockeyed, derisory, idiotic, laughable, ludicrous, nonsensical, preposterous

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin rīdiculus (“laughable, ridiculous”); Equivalent to ridicule + -ous.

Across languages

Translations

79 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: belaglik — foolish, absurd
  • Albanian: qesharak — foolish, absurd
  • Arabic: سَخِيف (saḵīf) — foolish, absurd
  • Arabic: مَسْخَرَة (masḵara) — foolish, absurd
  • Armenian: ծիծաղելի (cicaġeli) — foolish, absurd
  • Armenian: անհեթեթ (anhetʻetʻ) — foolish, absurd
  • Basque: barregarri — foolish, absurd
  • Basque: irrigarri — foolish, absurd
  • Belarusian: сме́шны (smjéšny) — foolish, absurd
  • Bulgarian: нелеп (nelep) — foolish, absurd
  • Bulgarian: абсурден (absurden) — foolish, absurd
  • Bulgarian: смехотворен (smehotvoren) — foolish, absurd
  • Catalan: ridícul — foolish, absurd
  • Chinese Mandarin: 可笑 (kěxiào) — foolish, absurd
  • Chinese Mandarin: 荒謬 /荒谬 (huāngmiù) — foolish, absurd
  • Chinese Mandarin: 荒唐 (huāngtáng) — foolish, absurd
  • Cornish: hwarthus — foolish, absurd
  • Czech: směšný — foolish, absurd
  • Danish: latterlig — foolish, absurd
  • Dutch: belachelijk — foolish, absurd
  • Dutch: lachwekkend — foolish, absurd
  • Dutch: ridicuul — foolish, absurd
  • Esperanto: ridinda — foolish, absurd
  • Faroese: løgiligur — foolish, absurd
  • Finnish: naurettava — foolish, absurd
  • French: ridicule — foolish, absurd
  • Galician: ridículo — foolish, absurd
  • German: lächerlich — foolish, absurd
  • Greek: γελοίος (geloíos) — foolish, absurd
  • Greek: αξιογέλαστος (axiogélastos) — foolish, absurd
  • Ancient Greek: γελοῖος (geloîos) — foolish, absurd
  • Hebrew: מְגֻחָךְ (m'guẖách) — foolish, absurd
  • Hindi: बेतुका (betukā) — foolish, absurd
  • Hindi: मसख़रा (masaxrā) — foolish, absurd
  • Hindi: हास्यास्पद (hāsyāspad) — foolish, absurd
  • Hindi: उपहासास्पद (uphāsāspad) — foolish, absurd
  • Hindi: अंडबंड (aṇḍbaṇḍ) — foolish, absurd
  • Hindi: अटपटा (aṭapṭā) — foolish, absurd
  • Hindi: ऊटपटाँग (ūṭapṭāṅg) — foolish, absurd
  • Hungarian: nevetséges — foolish, absurd
  • Irish: áiféiseach — foolish, absurd
  • Italian: ridicolo — foolish, absurd
  • Japanese: 馬鹿らしい (bakarashii) — foolish, absurd
  • Kabuverdianu: jatu — foolish, absurd
  • Korean: 웃으운 (useuun) — foolish, absurd
  • Latin: rīdiculus — foolish, absurd
  • Malay: mengarut — foolish, absurd
  • Māori: haraki — foolish, absurd
  • Māori: nenekara — foolish, absurd
  • Mauritian Creole: ridikil — foolish, absurd
  • Norman: riditchule — foolish, absurd
  • Norwegian Bokmål: latterlig — foolish, absurd
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: latterleg — foolish, absurd
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: låtteleg — foolish, absurd
  • Papiamentu: ridíkulo — foolish, absurd
  • Persian: مسخره (masxare) — foolish, absurd
  • Plautdietsch: lachrich — foolish, absurd
  • Polish: absurdalny — foolish, absurd
  • Polish: niedorzeczny — foolish, absurd
  • Polish: śmieszny — foolish, absurd
  • Portuguese: ridículo — foolish, absurd
  • Punjabi: ਹਾਸੋਹੀਣ (hāsohīṇ) — foolish, absurd
  • Romanian: ridicol — foolish, absurd
  • Russian: неле́пый (nelépyj) — foolish, absurd
  • Scottish Gaelic: amaideach — foolish, absurd
  • Slovak: absúrdny — foolish, absurd
  • Slovak: smiešny — foolish, absurd
  • Slovak: nehorázny — foolish, absurd
  • Slovak: neuveriteľný — foolish, absurd
  • Spanish: ridículo — foolish, absurd
  • Swedish: löjlig — foolish, absurd
  • Thai: น่าขัน (nâa kăn) — foolish, absurd
  • Thai: ไร้สาระ (rái săará) — foolish, absurd
  • Turkish: saçma — foolish, absurd
  • Turkish: komik — foolish, absurd
  • Turkish: tuhaf — foolish, absurd
  • Turkish: gülünç — foolish, absurd
  • Ukrainian: безглу́здий (bezhlúzdyj) — foolish, absurd
  • Ukrainian: смішни́й (smišnýj) — foolish, absurd
Real reading context

ridiculous in complete knowledge articles

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