# ridiculous

/ɹɪˈdɪkjəɫəs/ (US) · /ɹɪdˈɪkjʊləs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/ridiculous
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. silly or foolish

adjective · CEFR B1

very silly or stupid in a way that makes you want to laugh.

For teachers: deserving of ridicule or mockery due to being absurd, preposterous, or foolish.

- It is ridiculous to wear a heavy winter coat at the beach.
- The proposal was so ridiculous that the board members struggled to maintain their professional composure during the presentation.

### 2. extreme or unbelievable

adjective · CEFR B2 · Informal

so extreme, large, or strange that it is hard to believe.

For teachers: astonishingly extreme or unbelievable in degree, often used to describe prices, amounts, or situations.

- The price of a coffee at the airport was absolutely ridiculous.
- The amount of paperwork required for a simple travel visa has become ridiculous over the last few years.

Usage: Often preceded by intensifiers like 'absolutely' or 'completely' to emphasize the degree of disbelief.

## Examples

- It is ridiculous to pay ten dollars for a bottle of water.
- The meeting was delayed for two hours because of a ridiculous argument over who should sit where.
- While the premise of the play seemed ridiculous at first, the actors performed with such sincerity that the audience eventually accepted the surreal logic of the plot.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.