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Fitted to excite ridicule; absurd and laughable; unworthy of serious consideration; as, a ridiculous dress or behavior. Agricola, discerning that those little targets and unwieldy glaives ill pointed would soon become ridiculous against the thrust and close, commanded three Batavian cohorts . . . to draw up and come to…

consistent with the plain dictates of common sense; logically contradictory; nonsensical; ridiculous; as, an absurd person, an absurd opinion; an absurd dream. This proffer is absurd and reasonless. Shak. 'This phrase absurd to call a villain great. Pope. p. 9

Exasperating; provoking; irritating. [Colloq.] A thing at once ridiculous and aggravating. J. Ingelow.

ecome less important and striking, at the close; -- the opposite of climax. It produces a ridiculous effect. Example: Next comes Dalhousie, the great god of war, Lieutenant-colonel to the Earl ANTICLINAL An`ti*cli"nal, a. Etym: [Pref. anti- + Gr.

The arts and practices of a buffoon, as low jests, ridiculous pranks, vulgar tricks and postures. Nor that it will ever constitute a wit to conclude a tart piece of buffoonery with a "What makes you blush" Spectator.

scription in which the peculiarities of a person or thing are so exaggerated as to appear ridiculous; a burlesque; a parody. [Formerly written caricatura.] The truest likeness of the prince of French literature will be the one that has most of the look of a caricature. I. Taylor. A grotesque caricature of virtue. Macau…

idea; thought; image; conception. In laughing, there ever procedeth a conceit of somewhat ridiculous. Bacon. A man wise in his own conceit. Prov. xxvi. 12.

; to array; accouter. The country are led astray in following the town, and equipped in a ridiculous habit, when they fancy themselves in the height of the mode. Addison.

refined gold, to paint the lily, To throw a perfume on the violet, . . . Is wasteful and ridiculous excess. Shak. That kills me with excess of grief, this with excess of joy. Walsh.

Ridiculous or empty show; as, a mere farce. "The farce of state." Pope.

A complete or ridiculous failure, esp. of a musical performance, or of any pretentious undertaking.

To make a ridiculous failure in an undertaking. [Colloq. or Low] To fizzle out, to burn with a hissing noise and then go out, like wet gunpowder; hence, to fail completely and ridicuously; to prove a failure. [Colloq.]

or buffoon; a retainer formerly kept to make sport, dressed fantastically in motley, with ridiculous accouterments. Can they think me . . . their fool or jester Milton. April fool, Court fool, etc. See under April, Court, etc. -- Fool's cap, a cap or hood to which bells were usually attached, formerly worn by professi…

Absurd; ridiculous; despicable; contemptible. A foolish figure he must make. Prior.

Pompous; ridiculously tumid; inflated; bombastic; as, fustian history. Walpole.

As a whole; in gross; for the most part. His general behavior vain, ridiculous. Shak.

To be swallowed; -- used literally or figuratively. [Colloq.] Nothing so ridiculous, . . . but it goes down whole with him for truth. L' Estrange. -- To go far. (a) To go to a distance. (b) To have much weight or influence. -- To go for. (a) To go in quest of. (b) To represent; to pass for.

apid; flat; dull; heavy; as, an insipid woman; an insipid composition. Flat, insipid, and ridiculous stuff to him. South. But his wit is faint, and his salt, if I may dare to say so, almost insipid. Dryden.

To make ridiculous and contemptible. [Obs.] I do now fool myself, to let imagination jade me. Shak.

Sportive; ridiculous; wanton. [Obs.] Tooker.