Ridiculous
/rɪˈdɪk.jə.ləs/noun
So absurd or laughable that it deserves mockery.
Did you know?The word comes from Latin ridiculus, from ridēre, meaning “to laugh,” so its ancient core is not random insult but the power of laughter as social judgment.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₁reh₁-
“to laugh”
Latin
Latin
ridēre
“to laugh”
Latin
Latin
ridiculus
“laughable; ridiculous”
Late Latin
Latin
ridiculosus
“full of ridicule; absurd”
14th Century
English
ridiculouse
“deserving ridicule; absurd”
Modern English
English
ridiculous
“absurd, laughable, or worthy of scorn”