Risible

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  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.
        [1913 Webster]
  


              Laughing is our busines, . . . it has been made the
              definition of man that he is risible. --Dr. H. More.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Exciting laughter; worthy to be laughed at; amusing.
        "Risible absurdities." --Johnson.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              I hope you find nothing risible in my complaisance.
                                                    --Sir W.
                                                    Scott.
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     3. Used in, or expressing, laughter; as, risible muscles.
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     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.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     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.
            [1913 Webster] --{Ris"i*ble*ness}, n. -- {Ris"i*bly},
            adv.
            [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  risible
       adj : 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}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  36 Moby Thesaurus words for "risible":
     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