Words / C2

LOOD-ikr-uh-s/ˈluːdɪkrəs/

Ludicrous means so unreasonable that it is laughable: a ludicrous claim, ludicrously late. Absurd (already in the dictionary) is the close twin; ridiculous is everyday. Facetious (already in the dictionary) is joking at the wrong time, not the claim itself. Do not dress a bin as a backup and keep a straight face.

Meaning

So unreasonable or unsuitable as to be laughable; absurd.

Examples

• “It is ludicrous to call one CSV in a bin a backup.”
• “Absurd is the close twin (already in B2). Ridiculous is everyday. Facetious is ill-timed joking (already in C2). A cheap drive can still be a real backup if it restores. A deleted original in Recycle Bin is not a strategy. Restore the file; then argue the architecture.”

Good to know

Ridiculously absurd. Everyday: ridiculous. Close: absurd (already in B2). Contrast: facetious (joking at the wrong time — already in C2). A bin is not a backup.

Near in meaning

absurd, ridiculous, preposterous, farcical

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