I.that excites laughter.
I. In a good sense, laughable, droll, funny, amusing, facetious (freq. and class.; syn.: jocularis, jocosus).
A. Adj.: “quamvis ridiculus est,” Plaut. Men. 2, 2, 43; cf.: “quando adbibero, alludiabo, tum sum ridiculissimus,” id. Stich. 2, 2, 58: “si ridiculum hominem quaeret quispiam,” id. ib. 1, 3, 17: “cavillator facie magis quam facetiis ridiculus,” Cic. Att. 1, 13, 2: “homines,” Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 46, § 121; id. de Or. 2, 54, 221; Juv. 3, 153: “mus,” a funny little mouse, Hor. A. P. 139: “inest lepos ludusque in hac comoediā: ridicula res est,” Plaut. As. prol. 14: “ridicula et jocosa res,” Cat. 56, 1 and 4: “dico unum ridiculum dictum de dictis melioribus . . . nemo ridet,” Plaut. Capt. 3, 1, 22; so, “dictum,” Quint. 6, 3, 6: “logos ridiculos vendo,” Plaut. Stich. 1, 3, 68: “vultus gestusque,” Quint. 6, 3, 26 et saep.: ridiculum est, with subject-clause: “ridiculum est, te istuc me admonere,” Ter. Heaut. 2, 3, 112; so Quint. 6, 3, 94.— Absol.: “hui, tam cito? ridiculum!” how comical! Ter. And. 3, 1, 16; so id. ib. 4, 2, 29; id. Eun. 3, 1, 62; id. Phorm. 5, 7, 8.— Poet. with inf.: “(Porcius) Ridiculus totas simul obsorbere placentas,” Hor. S. 2, 8, 24.—
B. Substt.
1. rīdĭcŭ-lus , i, m., a jester, buffoon: “Gelasimo nomen mihi indidit parvo pater. Quia inde jam a pauxillo puero ridiculus fui, etc.,” Plaut. Stich. 1, 3, 21 sq.; so id. ib. 17 and 64; 4, 2, 54; id. Capt. 3, 1, 10; 17; Ter. Eun. 2, 2, 13; Vulg. Hab. 1, 10.—
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.—
