a. [ L. ridiculosus, ridiculus, fr. ridere to laigh. Cf. Risible. ] 1. Fitted to excite ridicule; absurd and laughable; unworthy of serious consideration; as, a ridiculous dress or behavior. [ 1913 Webster ]

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 handy strokes. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Involving or expressing ridicule. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

[ It ] provokes me to ridiculous smiling. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Ludicrous; laughable; risible; droll; comical; absurd; preposterous. See Ludicrous. [ 1913 Webster ]

--- Ri*dic"u*lous*ly, adv. -- Ri*dic"u*lous*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]