ludicrous
gb/lˈudɪkɹəs/ us/lˈudɪkɹəs/
C1
English
~ 8500
Senses
0 senses
adjective
C1
property
1
ridiculously unreasonable or silly
Very silly, stupid, or impossible to believe, so that you want to laugh at it.
Usage pattern:
[something] is ludicrous
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use *ludicrous* to describe something that is just a little funny or strange. In English, *ludicrous* is usually strong and negative, used for things that are extremely silly, unreasonable, or hard to believe. Another common mistake is using it as an adverb (*ludicrous cheap*) instead of the correct adverb *ludicrously* (*ludicrously cheap*).
Synonyms
ridiculous (Very close in meaning; slightly more common and a bit more general in everyday speech.)
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absurd (Stresses that something is completely against reason or common sense, not always funny.)
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preposterous (More formal and strong; emphasizes that something is against logic or normal order.)
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laughable (Focuses more on the idea that something is so bad or weak that it makes you want to laugh.)
Antonyms
reasonable (Opposite because it describes something sensible and based on good judgment.)
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plausible (Opposite in that it describes something that seems believable and not silly or extreme.)
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sensible (Describes showing good sense and practicality, the reverse of being ludicrous.)
Collocations
ludicrous idea
|ludicrous claim
|ludicrous amount
|ludicrous suggestion
|seem ludicrous
|almost ludicrous
Themes
communication
|opinions
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The idea that we could finish this entire project in one day is completely ludicrous.
- Ticket prices for the concert were so ludicrous that many fans refused to go.
- He made a ludicrous claim that he could run a marathon without any training.
- The movie’s plot becomes increasingly ludicrous halfway through and is hard to take seriously.
- It would be ludicrous to ignore all this scientific evidence.
Learner examples
- That plan is ludicrous and will never work.
- I think it is ludicrous to pay so much money for a T‑shirt.
- Her excuse for being late was so ludicrous that nobody believed her.
- The story sounds ludicrous, but it is actually true.
Grammar
Dictionary form
ludicrous
IPA
GB/lˈudɪkɹəs/
US/lˈudɪkɹəs/
Syllables & stress
ludicrous (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (ludicrous)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: ludicrous
Word family
Core family
ludicrously
adverb C1
Advanced or less common
ludicrousness
noun
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.