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rīdĭcŭlus , a, um, adj. rideo,
I.that excites laughter.
I. In a good sense, laughable, droll, funny, amusing, facetious (freq. and class.; syn.: jocularis, jocosus).
B. Substt.
2. rīdĭcŭlum , i, or plur.: rīdĭcŭla , ōrum, n., something laughable, a laughing matter; a jest, joke, etc.: proprium materiae, de quā nunc loquimur, est ridiculum, ideoque haec tota disputatio a Graecis περὶ γελοίου inscribitur, Quint. 6, 3, 22; cf. Cic. de Or. 2, 58, 235 sq. (v. the whole chapter on laughter, when and how it should be excited, etc., Cic. l. l.; and: “de risu,Quint. 6, 3): “in jaciendo mittendoque ridiculo genera plura sunt ... illud admonemus, ridiculo sic usurum oratorem, ut, etc.,Cic. Or. 26, 87: “per ridiculum dicere (opp. severe),id. Off. 1, 37, 134: “ridiculi causā (with joco),Plaut. Am. 3, 2, 36: “mihi solae ridiculo fuit,I had the joke all to myself, Ter. Eun. 5, 6, 3: “quatenus sint ridicula tractanda oratori, perquam diligenter videndum est ... materies omnis ridiculorum est in istis vitiis, quae, etc.,Cic. de Or. 2, 58, 237 sq.; Plaut. Stich. 3, 2, 2: “saepe etiam sententiose ridicula dicuntur,Cic. de Or. 2, 71, 286: “facetum non tantum circa ridicula consistere,Quint. 6, 3, 19: “ridicula aut facimus aut dicimus, etc.,id. 6, 3, 25.—
II. In a bad sense, laughable, silly, absurd, ridiculous (not freq. till after the Aug. per.; cf. “rideo, II. B. 2.): hujus insania, quae ridiaula est aliis, mihi tum molesta sane fuit, etc.,Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 66, § 148: “ludibria,Lucr. 2, 47: “qui ridiculus minus illo (es)?Hor. S. 2, 3, 311: “stulta reprehendere facillimum est, nam per se sunt ridicula,Quint. 6, 3, 71; cf. “(with stulta),id. 2, 10, 6: “poëma (shortly before: inculti versus et male nati),Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 238: “pudor,Juv. 11, 55.— Ridiculum est, with subject-clause: “est ridiculum, ad ea quae habemus nihil dicere, quaerere, quae habere non possumus,Cic. Arch. 4, 8; so, “putare,id. Div. in Caecil. 18, 59: “de confessis praecipere,Quint. 5, 13, 7.—Adv.: rīdĭ-cŭlē .
a. (Acc. to I.) Laughably, jokingly, humorously: “rogitas,Plaut. Trin. 4, 2, 60; Ter. Hec. 4, 4, 46: “non modo acute, sed etiam ridicule ac facete,Cic. de Or. 1, 57, 243; 2, 71, 289; id. Fam. 9, 22, 4; Domit. Mars. ap. Quint. 6, 3, 105: “ridicule magis hoc dictum quam vere,Phaedr. 3, 4, 5.—
b. (Acc. to II.) Ridiculously: “insanus,Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 66, § 148; id. Rosc. Com. 6, 19.
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hide References (36 total)
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (36):
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 9.22.4
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 1.13.2
    • Old Testament, Habakkuk, 1.10
    • Cicero, Divinatio against Q. Caecilius, 18.59
    • Cicero, For Quintus Roscius the Actor, 6.19
    • Cicero, Against Verres, 2.1.121
    • Cicero, Against Verres, 2.4.148
    • Cicero, For Archias, 4.8
    • Plautus, Menaechmi, 2.2
    • Plautus, Stichus, 1.3
    • Plautus, Trinummus, 4.2
    • Horace, Satires, 2.8.24
    • Horace, Satires, 2.3.311
    • Horace, Ars Poetica, 139
    • Plautus, Amphitruo, 3.2
    • Plautus, Captivi, 3.1
    • Plautus, Stichus, 2.2
    • Plautus, Stichus, 3.2
    • Cicero, On Oratory, 1.57
    • Cicero, On Oratory, 2.54
    • Cicero, On Oratory, 2.58
    • Cicero, On Oratory, 2.71
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 2.47
    • Cicero, De Officiis, 1.37
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 2, 10.6
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 6, 3
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 6, 3.105
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 6, 3.25
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 6, 3.71
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 6, 3.94
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 5, 13.7
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 6, 3.19
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 6, 3.22
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 6, 3.26
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 6, 3.6
    • Cicero, Orator, 26.87
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