ridiculous

Where does the word "ridiculous" come from? It comes from Latin ridere, passing through Latin before entering English (1500s).

Ridiculous’s story begins in Latin: ridere meant “to laugh.” The root of 'derision' and 'risible'. Within Latin, it grew into ridiculosus by ancient. Causing laughter, absurd, from ridere. It reached English by 1500s as ridiculous. Settled as the English word for something deserving mockery or absurd. Today, ridiculous means so absurd or unreasonable as to invite mockery or laughter.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient ridere "to laugh", the root of 'derision' and 'risible'.
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient ridiculosus "causing laughter, absurd", causing laughter, absurd, from ridere.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1500s ridiculous "deserving or inviting mockery, absurd", settled as the English word for something deserving mockery or absurd.