laughable
adjective
laugh·able ˈla-fə-bəl 
ˈlä-
: of a kind to provoke laughter or sometimes derision : amusingly ridiculous
laughableness noun
laughably
ˈla-fə-blē
adverb ˈlä-
Synonyms
- antic
- chucklesome
- comedic
- comic
- comical
- droll
- farcical
- funny
- hilarious
- humoristic
- humorous
- hysterical
- hysteric
- killing
- ludicrous
- ridiculous
- riotous
- risible
- screaming
- sidesplitting
- uproarious
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
His attempt at skiing was laughable. the laughable, boisterous antics of the circus clowns
Recent Examples on the Web It’s because fully explaining what the viewer would see on screen is so silly and idiotic as to be laughable and not in the least scary. 
Ed Stockly, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2022 MacKenzie, 87, a native of Gore Bay, Ontario who graduated from Yale in 1956, was in the middle of all the good, the bad and, mostly, the laughable. Dom Amore, courant.com, 15 Feb. 2022 Then, a little comic relief perhaps, this one is simply laughable. Diane Omdahl, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2021 This entire notion of the Utah Jazz promising something better in 2027 or 2029 on some levels is laughable. Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 3 Sep. 2022 The speculation here is that what is and was laughable was rooted in a Keynesian belief that government is the instigator of economic growth through spending, as opposed to the beneficiary of growth. John Tamny, Forbes, 17 Aug. 2022 Sure, the Dolphins will be hurt by the loss of a first-round pick next year and a third-round pick in 2024, but the remainder of the sanctions were laughable. Paul Newberry, ajc, 5 Aug. 2022 Quite simply, the idea that Meta’s acquisition of tiny game creator Within will stifle competition in the nascent VR gaming space is laughable. Gary Shapiro, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2022 Some readers found the style laughable, and questioned the book’s veracity. Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 25 July 2022 See More
Ed Stockly, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2022 MacKenzie, 87, a native of Gore Bay, Ontario who graduated from Yale in 1956, was in the middle of all the good, the bad and, mostly, the laughable. Dom Amore, courant.com, 15 Feb. 2022 Then, a little comic relief perhaps, this one is simply laughable. Diane Omdahl, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2021 This entire notion of the Utah Jazz promising something better in 2027 or 2029 on some levels is laughable. Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 3 Sep. 2022 The speculation here is that what is and was laughable was rooted in a Keynesian belief that government is the instigator of economic growth through spending, as opposed to the beneficiary of growth. John Tamny, Forbes, 17 Aug. 2022 Sure, the Dolphins will be hurt by the loss of a first-round pick next year and a third-round pick in 2024, but the remainder of the sanctions were laughable. Paul Newberry, ajc, 5 Aug. 2022 Quite simply, the idea that Meta’s acquisition of tiny game creator Within will stifle competition in the nascent VR gaming space is laughable. Gary Shapiro, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2022 Some readers found the style laughable, and questioned the book’s veracity. Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 25 July 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
1600, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
laughable
adjective
laugh·able ˈla-fə-bəl
ˈlä-
: causing or likely to cause laughter or scorn
His attempt at skating was laughable.
laughable
adjective
1
as in funny
causing or intended to cause laughter the laughable, boisterous antics of the circus clowns Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- funny
- humorous
- ridiculous
- comedic
- amusing
- comical
- ludicrous
- hysterical
- comic
- hilarious
- entertaining
- farcical
- risible
- screaming
- hysteric
- droll
- witty
- killing
- playful
- uproarious
- riotous
- antic
- chucklesome
- sidesplitting
- humoristic
- clownish
- zany
- flippant
- slapstick
- laughing
- diverting
- facetious
- merry
- waggish
- flip
- knockabout
- slapsticky
- whimsical
- jokey
- jocular
- priceless
- mad
- gleeful
- wry
- jolly
- campy
- smart
- rich
- jovial
- mirthful
- snickery
- pert
- joky
- jocose
- smart-alecky
- jocund
- smart-aleck
- blithesome
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- lame
- unfunny
- serious
- unamusing
- humorless
- tragic
- earnest
- severe
- solemn
- somber
- sombre
- poignant
- unhumorous
- sad
- tragical
- staid
- grave
- sober
- unhysterical
- weighty
- unsmiling
- woeful
- sedate
- uncomic
- moving
- touching
- affecting
- sobersided
- sorrowful
- tearful
- mournful
- no-nonsense
- lachrymose
2
as in ridiculous
so foolish or pointless as to be worthy of scornful laughter it was simply laughable to see this middle-aged, hopelessly square candidate trying to appear young and hip Synonyms & Similar Words
- ridiculous
- absurd
- silly
- pathetic
- ludicrous
- foolish
- stupid
- comical
- unreasonable
- farcical
- preposterous
- risible
- incredible
- dumb
- derisive
- irrational
- insane
- derisory
- fantastic
- idiotic
- crazy
- fantastical
- asinine
- moronic
- inane
- nonsensical
- fatuous
- cockamamie
- mad
- cockamamy
- unbelievable
- imbecile
- unreal
- unwise
- daft
- inconceivable
- unrealistic
- simpleminded
- lunatic
- illogical
- witless
- for the birds
- harebrained
- brainless
- wacky
- loony
- jerky
- imbecilic
- screwball
- nutty
- idiotical
- whacky
- half-baked
- kooky
- daffy
- dotty
- senseless
- far-fetched
- cuckoo
- half-witted
- weak-minded
- looney
- cockeyed
- kookie
- balmy
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- serious
- reasonable
- earnest
- solemn
- realistic
- logical
- conceivable
- credible
- sensible
- believable
- rational
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of laughable are comical, comic, ludicrous, and ridiculous. While all these words mean "provoking laughter or mirth," laughable applies to anything occasioning laughter.
laughable attempts at skating
The synonyms comic and laughable are sometimes interchangeable, but comic applies especially to what arouses thoughtful amusement.
a comic character
The words comical and laughable are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, comical applies to what arouses spontaneous hilarity.
a comical hat
In some situations, the words ludicrous and laughable are roughly equivalent. However, ludicrous suggests absurdity that excites both laughter and scorn.
a thriller with a ludicrous plot
The meanings of ridiculous and laughable largely overlap; however, ridiculous suggests extreme absurdity, foolishness, or contemptibility.
a ridiculous display of anger