risible

English

WOTD – 15 May 2007

Etymology

From Middle French risible and directly from Late Latin rīsibilis, from Latin rīsus (laughter) + -ibilis, from the perfect passive participle of rīdeō (laugh).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈɹɪzɪbəl/, /ˈɹaɪzɪbəl/
  • (file)

Adjective

risible (comparative more risible, superlative most risible)

  1. Of or pertaining to laughter
    the risible muscles
    • 1912, Arthur Quiller-Couch, Hocken and Hunken, ch. 20:
      A joke merely affected her with silent convulsive twitchings, as though the risible faculties struggled somewhere within her but could not bring the laugh to birth.
  2. Provoking laughter; ludicrous; ridiculous; humorously insignificant
  3. (of a person) Easily laughing; prone to laughter
    • 1674, Anonymous [Richard Allestree?], “Of Scoffing and Deriſion”, in The Government of the Tongue, At the Theater in Oxford, page 119:
      We are got indeed into a merry world, Laughing is our main buſiniſs; as if becauſe it has bin made part of the Definition of man, that he his Riſible, his man-hood conſiſted in nothing elſe.
    • 1897, Thomas Hardy, The Well-Beloved. ch. 8:
      She was half risible, half concerned.

Synonyms

Translations

Anagrams


French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin rīsibilis, from rīdeō (to laugh).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ʁi.zibl/

Adjective

risible (plural risibles)

  1. risible, laughable

Derived terms

Further reading


Spanish

Etymology

From Late Latin rīsibilis, from rīdeō (to laugh).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /riˈsible/ [riˈsi.β̞le]
  • Rhymes: -ible
  • Syllabification: ri‧si‧ble

Adjective

risible (plural risibles)

  1. risible, laughable

Further reading

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