Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective So absurd or incongruous as to be laughable. synonym: foolish.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Serving for or exciting sport; laughable from singularity or grotesqueness; adapted to cause sportive laughter or ridicule; absurd.
- Synonyms Funny, Comical, Droll, Ludicrous, Ridiculous, Laughable. Either the direct action of laughter or a corresponding sentiment is included in the signification of all these terms.
- In this respect laughable is the generic word, but it is also one of the strongest. Funny is the weakest of the list, ranging from the meaning of ‘amusing’ or ‘odd’ down to its colloquial use in the sense of ‘strange.’ Comical still retains a faint suggestion of its origin in connection with the drama, being primarily used in connection with something done or seen, and hence something viewed by the mind: a comical predicament is just such as would be fit for exhibition in a comedy. Droll especially implies the odd or unfamiliar: as, a droll story, idea, fellow. Ludicrous is an advance in strength upon comical, as comical is an advance upon funny. Ridiculous is the only word in the list that throws contempt or even discredit upon the person concerned: it is allowable to tell a ludicrous story about one's friend, but not a story that makes him appear ridiculous. A thing may be ludicrous, etc., on account of its unreasonableness or violation of common sense; if it is ridiculous, it is certainly on that account. That is laughable which simply provokes a hearty laugh.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective Adapted to excite laughter, without scorn or contempt; sportive.
- adjective Ridiculously absurd.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective
Idiotic orunthinkable , often to the point of being funny.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective incongruous;inviting ridicule
- adjective broadly or extravagantly humorous; resembling farce
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word ludicrous.
Examples
-
Saturday, Mandela and Deputy President Thabo Mbeki's offices denied what they called ludicrous allegations by Federal Alliance leader
-
More difficult to explain is the laughter excited by scenes or narrations which we call ludicrous, funny, grotesque, comic; and still more so the derisive and contemptuous laugh.
-
The earliest laughter did not arise from what we call the ludicrous, but from something apparently physical -- such as touch -- though it does not follow that it would never otherwise have existed at all, for, as the mind more fully developed itself, facial expressions would flow from superior and more numerous causes.
History of English Humour, Vol. 1 (of 2) With an Introduction upon Ancient Humour Alfred Guy Kingan L'Estrange 1873
-
Second, and more ludicrous, is that people explode when exposed to vaccuum.
-
The plots, of course, remain ludicrous: last year featured soap's first Lesbian Love Triangle Murder By Parachute Sabotage.
The post-watershed wonder of Hollyoaks Later is worth celebrating Dan Martin 2010
-
I ask can their leadership continue to spin ludicrous one minute sound bits and claim sound principled governance abilities.
-
The majority of folks know bigotry when they see it, and this quarrel is pretty ludicrous from the get-go.
-
Irrational behavior: contributing a factor of production to the global economy that is already in ludicrous excess supply and valued as such by the marketplace.
Poverty and Social Pressure, Arnold Kling | EconLog | Library of Economics and Liberty 2009
-
Silly little things usually depicting stickmen dying in ludicrous and humorous ways.
The 'Riffs Interview: 'CYANIDE & HAPPINESS's' Dave McElfatrick tackles visas, viscera & American humor Michael Cavna 2010
-
What makes your accusation even more ludicrous is that I don't label that many films for purchase, period.
Prolagus commented on the word ludicrous
Song quotation on frock.
September 16, 2008
ruzuzu commented on the word ludicrous
"Synonyms Funny, Comical, Droll, Ludicrous, Ridiculous, Laughable. Either the direct action of laughter or a corresponding sentiment is included in the signification of all these terms.
In this respect laughable is the generic word, but it is also one of the strongest. Funny is the weakest of the list, ranging from the meaning of ‘amusing’ or ‘odd’ down to its colloquial use in the sense of ‘strange.’ Comical still retains a faint suggestion of its origin in connection with the drama, being primarily used in connection with something done or seen, and hence something viewed by the mind: a comical predicament is just such as would be fit for exhibition in a comedy. Droll especially implies the odd or unfamiliar: as, a droll story, idea, fellow. Ludicrous is an advance in strength upon comical, as comical is an advance upon funny. Ridiculous is the only word in the list that throws contempt or even discredit upon the person concerned: it is allowable to tell a ludicrous story about one's friend, but not a story that makes him appear ridiculous. A thing may be ludicrous, etc., on account of its unreasonableness or violation of common sense; if it is ridiculous, it is certainly on that account. That is laughable which simply provokes a hearty laugh."
--CD&C
January 19, 2012
yarb commented on the word ludicrous
I'd say ludicrous and laughable have moved closer to parity with ridiculous since the Century's disquisition. I've also noticed that ludicrous (along with the other synonyms discussed here) is often used to mean unbelievable or incredible - to describe a feat of athletic skill, for example, or a long shift of work, or anything generally impressive.
January 19, 2012