Hypertext Webster Gateway: "ridiculous"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Ridiculous \Ri*dic"u*lous\, a. [L. ridiculosus, ridiculus, fr.
ridere to laigh. Cf. {Risible}.]
1. Fitted to excite ridicule; absurd and laughable; unworthy
of serious consideration; as, a ridiculous dress or
behavior.
Agricola, discerning that those little targets and
unwieldy glaives ill pointed would soon become
ridiculous against the thrust and close, commanded
three Batavian cohorts . . . to draw up and come to
handy strokes. --Milton.
2. Involving or expressing ridicule. [r.]
[It] provokes me to ridiculous smiling. --Shak.
Syn: Ludicrous; laughable; risible; droll; comical; absurd;
preposterous. See {Ludicrous}. --- {Ri*dic"u*lous*ly},
adv. -- {Ri*dic"u*lous*ness}, n.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
ridiculous
adj 1: inspiring scornful pity; "how silly an ardent and
unsuccessful wooer can be especially if he is getting
on in years"- Dashiell Hammett [syn: {pathetic}, {silly}]
2: completely devoid of wisdom or good sense; "the absurd
excuse that the dog ate his homework"; "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" [syn: {absurd}, {derisory}, {laughable}, {ludicrous},
{nonsensical}, {preposterous}]
3: broadly or extravagantly humorous; resembling farce; "the
wild farcical exuberance of a clown"; "ludicrous green
hair" [syn: {farcical}, {ludicrous}]
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