Lū'di-crōŭs, a.

a. [Lat. ludicrus, or ludicer, from ludus, play, sport, from ludere, to play; It. ludicro.] Adapted to raise laughter, without scorn or contempt; sportive.

A chapter upon German rhetoric would be in the same ludicrous predicament as Van Troil's chapter on the snakes of Iceland, which delivers its business in one summary sentence, announcing, that snakes in Iceland — there are none. De Quincey.

Synonyms— Laughable; sportive; burlesque; comic; droll; ridiculous. — LUDICROUS, LAUGHABLE, RIDICULOUS. We speak of a thing as ludicrous when it tends to produce laughter; as laughable when the impression is stronger, resulting in a hearty laugh; as ridiculous when contempt is more or less mingled with the merriment created; as, his stories were highly ludicrous, representing his friends some in a laughable, and some in a ridiculous point of view.

And others of such vinegar aspect That they'll not show their teeth in way of smile, Though Nestor swear the jest be laughable.