ludicrous

[ loo-di-kruhs ]

adjective

1. causing laughter because of absurdity; provoking or deserving derision; ridiculous; laughable:

   a ludicrous lack of efficiency.

   Synonyms: farcical

ludicrous

/ ˈluːdɪkrəs /

adjective

1. absurd or incongruous to the point of provoking ridicule or laughter

Derived Forms

• ˈludicrousness, noun
• ˈludicrously, adverb

Other Words From

• ludi·crous·ly adverb
• ludi·crous·ness noun
• un·ludi·crous adjective
• un·ludi·crous·ly adverb
• un·ludi·crous·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of ludicrous¹

1610–20; from Latin lūdicrus “sportive,” equivalent to lūdicr(um) “a show, public games” ( lūdi-, stem of lūdere “to play” + -crum noun suffix of instrument or result) + -us -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of ludicrous¹

C17: from Latin lūdicrus done in sport, from lūdus game; related to lūdere to play

Synonym Study

See funny ¹.

Example Sentences

The question sounded ludicrous as soon as it left our mouths.

From ProPublica

Fink said it’s ludicrous to keep young gymnasts from participating in other activities, such as skiing — one that many coaches discourage or even forbid their athletes from doing lest they get injured on the slopes.

From FiveThirtyEight

Another sequence, where the film claims that Kennedy’s greatness is evident in the number of roads and statues and airports named after him around the world, with stills of each one succeeding each other in a flurry, is perfectly ludicrous.

From The Daily Beast

With each successive film, Fast & Furious becomes a little more ludicrous and a little more irresistible — and the world has embraced that idea.

From Vox

These were absolutely ludicrous things that I told myself, mantras that I realized were ludicrous even while repeating them.

From Washington Post

It's cheesy and ludicrous and, therefore, delightful; it's the reading equivalent of hate-watching.

From The Daily Beast

Professor Penelope Leach told The Daily Beast it was ludicrous to monitor young children in that way.

From The Daily Beast

When things reached the ludicrous crescendo of the finale—when neither story made sense—my heart sank.

From The Daily Beast

There are those who accuse their games of not really being video games at all, which is ludicrous.

From The Daily Beast

The fact that an entire interview was being conducted solely about his looks was ludicrous, yet this is the sort of thing that E!

From The Daily Beast

And the girl, scarce believing her good fortune, departed with a speed that bordered on the ludicrous.

From Project Gutenberg

Even the simplest services are performed with an almost ludicrous waste of energy.

From Project Gutenberg

I met with a ludicrous instance of the dissipation of even latter days, a few months after my marriage.

From Project Gutenberg

In fact, to hear Skipper Worse utter the word Romarino was one of the most ludicrous things imaginable.

From Project Gutenberg

Mollock's discharge by the magistrate put the Chief in a very ludicrous position.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• bizarre
• comical
• crazy
• fantastic
• farcical
• foolish
• funny
• grotesque
• incongruous
• laughable
• nonsensical
• odd
• outlandish
• preposterous
• silly