| 释义 |
ridiculousadj.n.adv. Origin: Either (i) a borrowing from Latin. Or (ii) a borrowing from Latin, combined with an English element. Etymons: Latin ridiculosus ; Latin rīdiculus , -ous suffix. Etymology: Either < post-classical Latin ridiculosus laughable, comic (4th cent.), or directly < classical Latin rīdiculus capable of arousing laughter, funny, comic, amusing, absurd, silly (see ridicule adj.) + -ous suffix. Compare Middle French, French ridiculeux, adjective (c1490). A. adj. 1. the mind > mental capacity > lack of understanding > foolishness, folly > absurdity, incongruity > [adjective] the mind > attention and judgement > contempt > derision, ridicule, or mockery > fact or condition of being mocked or ridiculed > [adjective] > ridiculous α. 1533 T. Elyot ii. 41 Horrible, monstrouse, and in some fact ridiculouse: that is to say, to be laughed at. 1551 J. Bale f. cvv A subtile enemye was it..that prouided him so ridiculouse and obprobriouse a falle. 1570 J. Foxe (rev. ed.) II. 1615/2 It is ridiculous and a very fond aunswere [1563 It is an answere to be laughed at]. 1579 G. Harvey (1884) 63 You see nowe what homely and ridiculous stuffe I still sende abroade. 1617 F. Moryson i. 258 We all obeyed this ridiculous custome, not to offend them. 1656 T. Stanley II. vi. 40 You are not unreasonable as some are, who think good advice ridiculous. 1711 J. Greenwood 16 We..send our Boys and Girls to learn French, a Custom..very ridiculous and nonsensical. 1745 E. Haywood No. 21 (1748) IV. 155 The thing appeared to her so very ridiculous, that..she could not forbear bursting into a loud laughter. 1816 J. Scott x. 331 No tale was too ridiculous for momentary belief, if it accorded with the national anger. 1879 S. C. Bartlett x. 228 Gazelles sometimes occur, with ridiculous magnitude of horns. 1923 J. Mahoney in B. C. Williams (1924) 150 A little Dresden-china figure in a ridiculous frilly frock, with a tiny absurdity of a hat cocked down above her impertinent, tip-tilted nose. 1951 M. Reynolds 17 You say jokingly, ‘little green men’, and your tone of voice implies that the very thought of alien life is ridiculous. 2004 26 Jan. 83/2 A little girl, named something fanciful and trendily ridiculous. the mind > attention and judgement > contempt > disrepute > infamy or notoriety > [adjective] > scandalous 1832 [see sense C.]. 1839 G. C. Lewis 87 Ridiculous, scandalous, morally wrong. 1841 C. H. Hartshorne 547 Ridiculous, taken frequently in the sense of indelicate. 1886 17 43 In the South we often say, ‘That's a ridiculous affair’, when we really mean outrageous. 1893 H. T. Cozens-Hardy (Eastern Daily Press) (ed. 2) 98 I never heard of such conduct. I call it right down ridiculous. 1926 5 402 Hit was plum ridic'lus how thet feller kilt his pappy. c1960 in (2002) IV. 576/1 Ridiculous, shocking. the mind > goodness and badness > quality of being good > excellence > [adjective] 1959 Summer 209 His technique is ridiculous! 1960 D. Cerulli et al. 95 To a jazzman..ridiculous is wonderful. 1968 3 Jan. 6 Superlatives..gradually increased with the years into ‘out-of-sight’, ‘ridiculous’ and ‘unbelievable’. 1987 26 Jan. 38/1 (advt.) Compared to the other guys, AbilityTM is priced so low it's ridiculous..an unbelievable $99. 2001 6 Oct. d11 Poly Coach Raul Lara said size isn't everything. ‘They're so fundamentally sound, it's ridiculous,’ Lara said. 2008 3 July (Sports section) 4 He played so much better than me. His forehand was ridiculous. I felt rushed at every point. the mind > attention and judgement > contempt > derision, ridicule, or mockery > [adjective] 1622 H. Peacham x. 90 Lucane..incurreth a secret enuie and ridiculous contempt, which a moderate and well tempered style auoideth. 1679 J. Wadsworth ii. 27 Not fearing to expose the greatest mysteries of Christian faith, and even our blessed Saviour himself, to the ridiculous and scornful contempt of prophane men. 1709 S. White lxvi. 458 This the wicked turn'd into Banter, using the same Words with the addition of a ridiculous Tone, which shew'd they sported themselves with the credulity of their Brethren. 1770 P. Luckombe 132 Scurrilous pamphlets wrote..in a snarleing and ridiculous manner. 1796 C. Smith III. vi. 122 Mr Grimworth..thereupon, in a ridiculous tone, began to read a scroll he held. B. n.the mind > attention and judgement > contempt > derision, ridicule, or mockery > [noun] 1605 G. Chapman iii. sig. Gv So sir I thinke this knock rings lowd acquittance, For my ridiculouse. the mind > mental capacity > lack of understanding > foolishness, folly > absurdity, incongruity > [noun] > instance of 1674 T. Rymer in tr. R. Rapin xxiv. 123 Making a remark, that the ridiculous [Fr. du ridicule] is to be handled in the same manner, as he [sc. Aristotle] has discours'd of the grave and serious. 1742 H. Fielding I. Pref. p. xii The only Source of the true Ridiculous..is Affectation. View more context for this quotation 1795 T. Paine (ed. 2) ii. 22 One step above the sublime, makes the ridiculous. 1822 4 Apr. 3/3 This is carrying admiration a little into the region of the ridiculous. 1858 O. W. Holmes iv. 102 It is a very dangerous thing for a literary man to indulge his love for the ridiculous. 1930 16 Oct. 10/5 With the synthetic idiot, Harpo, you must have a vein of the ridiculous in your laughter gland if boredom is to be kept at bay. 1974 3 Mar. 16/6 The limers' attire ranges from the sophisticated to the ridiculous. 1996 Mar. 85/1 The Carolinas can dish up the ridiculous as well as the sublime—watermelon pip-spitting, a mock French château or crazy golf courses dressed up as plastic volcanoes. C. adv.the mind > mental capacity > lack of understanding > foolishness, folly > absurdity, incongruity > [adverb] the mind > attention and judgement > contempt > derision, ridicule, or mockery > fact or condition of being mocked or ridiculed > [adverb] 1827 A. N. Royall xvii. 167 She wept, she laughed, she acted ridiculous. 1830 J. Galt I. iii. ix. 249 It was ridiculous strong. 1832 J. Hall i. 38 These Mingoes act mighty redick'lous with women and children. 1885 ‘F. Anstey’ iv. 51 Don't talk so ridiculous! I tell you I ain't yours—it's a free country, this is! 1945 M. Hayes & J. Hayes i. 22 I don't want to think boys are ridiculous—even though they always act ridiculous. 1976 11 Mar. 24/2 Don't talk ridiculous! 2005 K. Betlach iii. 45 ‘I sweat everywhere. Everywhere.’ A minute or two later, ‘It's ridiculous hot.’ Compounds 1801 Let. 6 Dec. in (1802) Mar. 101/1 Really these French post-boys are the most ridiculous looking wretches in the world. 1859 J. White (1860) 106 A ridiculous-looking hollow mass composed of plates of iron. 1922 A. Waugh v. 50 They spend hours discussing the right shade of ribbon for their hair, and then they go and fall in love with a ridiculous-looking man. 2003 Oct. 59/1 We had the entire garage bay lined with plastic sheets, myself in a rain slicker behind a ridiculous-looking shield made out of cardboard and plastic. 1870 Aug. 608 A puritanical old relative who bore the somewhat ridiculous-sounding name of the Laird of Bowhopple. 1935 25 Feb. 10/6 In spite of the handicap of this somewhat ridiculous-sounding title, the speaker soon proved to be the most interesting contributor. 2006 M. Barbieri 76 I let out a ridiculous-sounding giggle. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2010; most recently modified version published online June 2022). <  adj.n.adv.1533 |
