From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Risible \Ris"i*ble\, a. [F., fr. L. risibilis, fr. ridere,
risum, to laugh. Cf. {Ridiculous}.]
1. Having the faculty or power of laughing; disposed to
laugh.
[1913 Webster]
Laughing is our busines, . . . it has been made the
definition of man that he is risible. --Dr. H. More.
[1913 Webster]
2. Exciting laughter; worthy to be laughed at; amusing.
"Risible absurdities." --Johnson.
[1913 Webster]
I hope you find nothing risible in my complaisance.
--Sir W.
Scott.
[1913 Webster]
3. Used in, or expressing, laughter; as, risible muscles.
[1913 Webster]
Note: Risible is sometimes used as a noun, in the plural, for
the feeling of amusement and for the muscles and other
organs used in laughing, collectively; as, unable to
control one's risibles.
[1913 Webster]
Syn: Ludicrous; laughable; amusing; ridiculous -- {Risible},
{Ludicrous}, {Ridiculous}.
Usage: Risible differs from ludicrous as species from genus;
ludicrous expressing that which is playful and
sportive; risible, that which may excite laughter.
Risible differs from ridiculous, as the latter implies
something contemptuous, and risible does not.
[1913 Webster] --{Ris"i*ble*ness}, n. -- {Ris"i*bly},
adv.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
risible
adj 1: arousing or provoking laughter; "an amusing film with a
steady stream of pranks and pratfalls"; "an amusing
fellow"; "a comic hat"; "a comical look of surprise";
"funny stories that made everybody laugh"; "a very funny
writer"; "it would have been laughable if it hadn't hurt
so much"; "a mirthful experience"; "risible courtroom
antics" [syn: {amusing}, {comic}, {comical}, {funny},
{laughable}, {mirthful}, {risible}]
|
