From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Ludicrous \Lu"di*crous\, a. [L. ludicrus, or ludicer, from ludus
play, sport, fr. ludere to play.]
1. Adapted to excite laughter, without scorn or contempt;
sportive. --Broome.
[1913 Webster]
A chapter upon German rhetoric would be in the same
ludicrous predicament as Van Troil's chapter on the
snakes of Iceland, which delivers its business in
one summary sentence, announcing, that snakes in
Iceland -- there are none. --De Quincey.
2. Ridiculously absurd.
[PJC]
Syn: Laughable; sportive; burlesque; comic; droll;
ridiculous.
Usage: {Ludicrous}, {Laughable}, {Ridiculous}. We speak of a
thing as ludicrous when it tends to produce laughter;
as laughable when the impression is somewhat stronger;
as ridiculous when more or less contempt is mingled
with the merriment created. -- {Lu"di*crous*ly}, adv.
-- {Lu"di*crous*ness}, n.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
ludicrous
adj 1: broadly or extravagantly humorous; resembling farce; "the
wild farcical exuberance of a clown"; "ludicrous green
hair" [syn: {farcical}, {ludicrous}, {ridiculous}]
2: incongruous;inviting ridicule; "the absurd excuse that the
dog ate his homework"; "that's a cockeyed idea"; "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}, {cockeyed}, {derisory},
{idiotic}, {laughable}, {ludicrous}, {nonsensical},
{preposterous}, {ridiculous}]
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