Adjacent Words

Risible definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

RI'SIBLE, a. [L. risibilis, from rideo, risi, to laugh. See Ridiculous.]
1. Having the faculty or power of laughing. Man is a risible animal.
2. Laughable; capable of exciting laughter. The description of Falstaff in Shakespeare, exhibits a risible scene. Risible differs from ludicrous, as species from genus; ludicrous expressing that which is playful and sportive; risible, that which may excite laughter. Risible differs from ridiculous, as the latter implies something mean or contemptible, and risible does not.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: arousing or provoking laughter; "an amusing film with a steady stream of pranks and pratfalls"; "an amusing fellow"; "a comic hat"; "a comical look of surprise"; "funny stories that made everybody laugh"; "a very funny writer"; "it would have been laughable if it hadn't hurt so much"; "a mirthful experience"; "risible courtroom antics" [syn: amusing, comic, comical, funny, laughable, mirthful, risible]

Merriam Webster's

adjective Etymology: Late Latin risibilis, from Latin risus, past participle of rid?re to laugh Date: 1557 1. a. capable of laughing b. disposed to laugh 2. arousing or provoking laughter; especially laughable 3. associated with, relating to, or used in laughter <risible muscles> • risibly adverb

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. 1 laughable, ludicrous. 2 inclined to laugh. 3 Anat. relating to laughter (risible nerves). Derivatives: risibility n. risibly adv. Etymology: LL risibilis f. L ridere ris- laugh

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Risible Ris"i*ble, a. [F., fr. L. risibilis, fr. ridere, risum, to laugh. Cf. Ridiculous.] 1. Having the faculty or power of laughing; disposed to laugh. Laughing is our busines, . . . it has been made the definition of man that he is risible. --Dr. H. More. 2. Exciting laughter; worthy to be laughed at; amusing. ``Risible absurdities.'' --Johnson. I hope you find nothing risible in my complaisance. --Sir W. Scott. 3. Used in, or expressing, laughter; as, risible muscles. Note: Risible is sometimes used as a noun, in the plural, for the feeling of amusement and for the muscles and other organs used in laughing, collectively; as, unable to control one's risibles. Syn: Ludicrous; laughable; amusing; ridiculous -- Risible, Ludicrous, Ridiculous. Usage: Risible differs from ludicrous as species from genus; ludicrous expressing that which is playful and sportive; risible, that which may excite laughter. Risible differs from ridiculous, as the latter implies something contemptuous, and risible does not.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

If you describe something as risible, you mean that it is ridiculous and does not deserve to be taken seriously. (FORMAL) = ludicrous ADJ [disapproval]

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. 1. Laughable, ridiculous, droll, ludicrous, comical, funny, farcical, amusing. 2. Producing laughter (as certain muscles).

Moby Thesaurus

absurd, amusing, bizarre, buxom, comic, comical, droll, eccentric, farcical, frivolous, funny, gleeful, hilarious, humorous, incongruous, jocular, jocund, jolly, jovial, joyful, joyous, laughable, laughter-loving, ludicrous, merry, mirth-loving, mirthful, priceless, quaint, quizzical, rejoicing, rich, ridiculous, screaming, whimsical, witty