SAT Vocab: Understanding the Word ‘Ridiculous’
Learn about the adjective ‘ridiculous’ for your SAT prep. Discover its meaning, etymology, synonyms, antonyms, and correct usage in sentences. Avoid common mistakes and enhance your vocabulary with this informative video.
Imagine walking into a formal business meeting wearing a clown costume complete with a red nose and oversized shoes.
Now that would be ridiculous! Speaking of which, let’s learn about the word ridiculous, an essential vocabulary term for your SAT preparation.
Ridiculous. R I D I C U L O U S. Ridiculous.
Word type: Adjective.
Meaning: Deserving or inviting mockery or derision; absurd, preposterous, or utterly foolish.
Word history: Ridiculous comes from the Latin word ridiculus, meaning laughable or silly. It’s derived from the verb ridere, which means to laugh.
This word entered the English language in the sixteenth century and has been making people chuckle ever since.
Antonyms: Serious, sensible, rational, reasonable.
Synonyms: Absurd, ludicrous, preposterous, laughable, silly, foolish.
Examples used in sentences: The politician’s claim that he could solve all the country’s problems in one day was utterly ridiculous.
Sarah found her brother’s excuse for being late so ridiculous that she couldn’t help but laugh. The price of the designer handbag was so ridiculous that even wealthy customers hesitated to buy it.
Common errors in use: People sometimes confuse ridiculous with rediculous. Remember, there’s no E in ridiculous.
Another common mistake is using it to describe people rather than situations or ideas. It’s more appropriate to say someone’s behavior or statement is ridiculous, rather than calling the person ridiculous.
To recap, ridiculous is an adjective that describes something so absurd or foolish that it deserves mockery or laughter.
From its Latin roots meaning to laugh, to its modern usage in describing outlandish situations, ridiculous is a powerful word to express extreme absurdity.
Next time you encounter something utterly foolish or laughably unreasonable, you’ll know exactly how to describe it: ridiculous!
