different between ridiculous vs jocular

English

Alternative forms

• rediculous (archaic, eye dialect, or misspelling)
• radiculous (rare, obsolete)

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin r?diculus (“laughable, ridiculous”); see ridicule.

Pronunciation

• (Canada, UK, US) IPA^(key): /???d?kj?l?s/, /?i??d?kj?l?s/
• (Wales) IPA^(key): /???d?kl?s/
• Rhymes: -?kj?l?s

Adjective

ridiculous (comparative more ridiculous, superlative most ridiculous)

1. Deserving of ridicule; foolish; absurd.

   Synonyms: silly, willy nilly, frivolous, goofy, funny, humorous, absurd, odd, surreal, unreasonable; see also Thesaurus:absurd

   Antonyms: straightforward, serious, somber, solemn

2. Astonishing; unbelievable.

Derived terms

• ridic
• ridiculousness

Related terms

• deride
• derision
• ridicule
• ridiculable
• ridiculosity
• ridiculously

Translations

Further reading

• ridiculous at OneLook Dictionary Search
• ridiculous in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• ridiculous in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

English

Etymology

From Latin iocularis, from ioculus (“a little jest”), diminutive of iocus (“a jest”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?d??kj?l?/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?d??kj?l?/

Adjective

jocular (comparative more jocular, superlative most jocular)

1. Humorous, amusing or joking.

   He was in a jocular mood all day.

   All we had was a short and jocular conversation.

   • 1865, Horatio Alger, Paul Prescott's Charge, chapter IV:

     From the tone of the speaker, the last words might be understood to be jocular.

   • 1896, H. G. Wells, The Island of Dr. Moreau, chapter 15:

     Sometimes he would notice it, pat it, call it half-mocking, half-jocular names, and so make it caper with extraordinary delight.

   • 1910, Stephen Leacock, The Awful Fate of Melpomenus Jones:

     Then papa began to get very tired of Jones, and fidgeted and finally said, with jocular irony, that Jones had better stay all night, they could give him a shake-down.

Synonyms

• (humorous): jokey, silly, joculous; see also Thesaurus:witty

Antonyms

• (humorous): heartfelt, serious, sincere

Derived terms

Related terms

• joke

Translations

Further reading

• jocular in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• jocular in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• jocular at OneLook Dictionary Search