Make Your Point > Archived Issues > RISIBLE
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connect this word to others:
When you ask someone what distinguishes humans from other animals, her answer will reveal what's most important to her, whether that's music, conversation, literature, reasoning, empathy, or the risible faculty: that is, our ability to laugh. "Hyenas notwithstanding," added a risible Kansas City Star reporter.
You'll notice how risible shares its Latin root (ridere, "to laugh") with words like ridicule, ridiculous, ri__t ("happy, smiling, and lighthearted"), and d_ris___, a noun that means "mockery, cruel laughter, humor at someone else's expense." D_ris___ takes cartoon form on The Simpsons in Nelson, the kid who always came along to point at anyone in an embarrassing position and yell "HA, HA."
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"RISIBLE"
Risible people are funny, or able to laugh, or often laughing.
And risible things are funny, or related to laughter or funniness, often in a ridiculous, foolish way.
Pronunciation:
RIZZ uh bull
Part of speech:
Adjective: "a risible response," "their guesses were risible."
Other forms:
risibly, risibility
How to use it:
Although "risible" is simply a sophisticated synonym of "funny," "comical," "humorous," and "facetious," these days, we most often use it to mean "foolish, laughable, ridiculous, impossible, preposterous."
So, "risible" can sound a bit haughty and judgmental.
You might talk about risible ideas and opinions, risible demands and expectations, risible claims and lies, risible explanations and excuses, risible interpretations and conclusions, etc.
If you're using "risible" to simply mean "funny," you might talk about risible books, plays, movies, scenes, characters, comments, performances, etc.
examples:
"Guéguen was reporting that men are less likely to assist women who tie up their hair... The description alone triggered a laughing spell in Heathers—not an uncommon reaction to science he finds risible."
— Adam Marcus and Ivan Oransky, Science, 14 February 2018
"The demand that China cut its trade surplus by $100bn is, in a technical sense, risible."
— Adam Clair, The Economist, 15 March 2018
has this page helped you understand "risible"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "risible" without saying "absurd" or "laughable."
try it out:
Fill in the blanks: "(When one person asked a question), (someone else) gave a risibly inaccurate (guess, estimate, claim, reason, or excuse)."
Example: "In the skit, when the census taker asks Christopher Walken's character how many people reside in his apartment, he gives a risibly inaccurate guess: 80."
before you review, play:
Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first.
Our game this month is "Inspired by, but in no way associated with, the game show Chain Reaction."
In each issue, try filling in both puzzles—the easier one and the tougher one—by supplying the terms to complete the chains.
From the previous issue:
An easier puzzle:
Abrasive
P__________
Test
A tougher puzzle:
Discordant
V_____
C____
Weight
Answers:
Abrasive
Personality
Test
Discordant
Voices
Carry
Weight
Give these a try today:
An easier puzzle:
Maternity
L____
En masse
A tougher puzzle:
Deleterious
E_____
C_____
Sides
review this word:
1. The opposite of RISIBLE is
A. SERIOUS.
B. STABILIZED.
C. SIGNIFICANT.
2. No matter how _____ the issue, Reddit will see its risible side and overflow with _____.
A. sensitive .. hilarious memes about it
B. hopeless .. words of encouragement
C. frivolous .. earnest, impassioned argument
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
When you ask someone what distinguishes humans from other animals, her answer will reveal what's most important to her, whether that's music, conversation, literature, reasoning, empathy, or the risible faculty: that is, our ability to laugh. "Hyenas notwithstanding," added a risible Kansas City Star reporter.
"RISIBLE" Risible people are funny, or able to laugh, or often laughing.
"Guéguen was reporting that men are less likely to assist women who tie up their hair... The description alone triggered a laughing spell in Heathers—not an uncommon reaction to science he finds risible."
Explain the meaning of "risible" without saying "absurd" or "laughable."
Fill in the blanks: "(When one person asked a question), (someone else) gave a risibly inaccurate (guess, estimate, claim, reason, or excuse)."
Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first.
1. The opposite of RISIBLE is
|