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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective ridiculous differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of ridiculous are comical, comic, laughable, and ludicrous. While all these words mean "provoking laughter or mirth," ridiculous suggests extreme absurdity, foolishness, or contemptibility.

a ridiculous display of anger

When is comic a more appropriate choice than ridiculous?

The meanings of comic and ridiculous largely overlap; however, comic applies especially to what arouses thoughtful amusement.

a comic character

When is it sensible to use comical instead of ridiculous?

The synonyms comical and ridiculous are sometimes interchangeable, but comical applies to what arouses spontaneous hilarity.

a comical hat

When can laughable be used instead of ridiculous?

In some situations, the words laughable and ridiculous are roughly equivalent. However, laughable applies to anything occasioning laughter.

laughable attempts at skating

When would ludicrous be a good substitute for ridiculous?

Although the words ludicrous and ridiculous have much in common, ludicrous suggests absurdity that excites both laughter and scorn.

a thriller with a ludicrous plot

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 ridiculous As far as the branding of Washington's NFL team and Cleveland's baseball team, this is all a ridiculous waste of time. Jim Reineking, USA Today, 21 July 2025 The Owner of the Cleveland Baseball Team, Matt Dolan, who is very political, has lost three Elections in a row because of that ridiculous name change. Chad De Guzman, Time, 21 July 2025 The anti-Jewish codings in all this are hard to avoid, with the longtime ridiculous and hateful caricature of Epstein as a Mossad agent running a blackmail ring for the Israeli government continuing to abide. Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 19 July 2025 The dances don’t settle for a twist or strut when a full-bodied vibration is possible, and Easley has a penchant for that ridiculous bobbin-head chicken dance from the ‘40s or ‘50s. Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 14 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for ridiculous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ridiculous
Adjective
  • From the vantage point of 2025, this appears as absurd as suggesting that women’s soccer matches should be 70 minutes instead of 90, the same as in the men’s game.
    Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 12 July 2025
  • The French super powerhouse has taken teams part since winning the UEFA Champions League crown on May 24, outscoring its foes by an absurd 21-1 margin.
    Michael Lewis, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025
Adjective
  • But a funny thing happened on the way to this flexible-rate nirvana.
    Brian Domitrovic, Forbes.com, 19 July 2025
  • His voice is too funny, too smart and too important to go quietly into the night.
    Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 19 July 2025
Adjective
  • This perky, self-aware, sarcastic and downright silly show caters to both the more traditional Goodspeed audiences.
    Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 14 July 2025
  • Green Lantern is earnest and bright and, yeah, incredibly silly and a little embarrassing.
    Tim Grierson, Vulture, 11 July 2025
Adjective
  • The plot moves along at a clip with time for small character subplots and humorous banter between big action set pieces.
    Scott Phillips, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
  • The frontman's humorous heads-up came after an exec was caught canoodling with a colleague at a recent show.
    EW.com, EW.com, 22 July 2025
Adjective
  • Phoenix assumes a pathetic and quietly arrogant demeanor as Joe, who speaks in a squeaky, exasperated cadence.
    Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 17 July 2025
  • Enter Flores, who was hired shortly after that pathetic performance.
    Steve Silverman, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
Adjective
  • The film also gave Lerman a chance to flex comedic muscles rarely seen in his more stoic roles.
    Seija Rankin, HollywoodReporter, 25 July 2025
  • Kelce is among the athletes who will appear in the second iteration of the comedic golf film.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 24 July 2025
Adjective
  • The scene was more amusing than threatening — onlookers whipped out cell phone cameras to document the sight of horses traversing the grounds.
    Jim Newton, Mercury News, 12 July 2025
  • For two-thirds of the day, as the peloton rolled through Brittany, the majority of soundbites ranged from frivolous to downright amusing.
    Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 12 July 2025
Adjective
  • In the first movie, Weathers’ character met a comical demise (by falling out of a window after Happy surprised him with the body of the alligator who bit off his hand) and later made an appearance from heaven.
    Jack Smart, People.com, 17 July 2025
  • Despite the fact that the name for mecha in this setting is the obviously comical wanzer, its influences are very clearly from mecha anime such as Armored Trooper VOTOMS.
    Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ridiculous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ridiculous. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on ridiculous

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