Lewis & Short

rīdĭcŭlus, a, um, adj. [rideo], that excites laughter.

  1. I. In a good sense, laughable, droll, funny, amusing, facetious (freq. and class.; syn.: jocularis, jocosus).
    1. 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, id. 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.
    2. B. Substt.
      1. 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. 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.
  2. 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.
        1. 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.
        2. b. (Acc. to II.) Ridiculously: insanus, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 66, § 148; id. Rosc. Com. 6, 19.