Which statement best defines ludicrous?

• A. absurd
• B. a lot of noise
• C. harmful or dangerous
• D. entertaining

Answer: (A)

Ludicrous describes extreme silliness or something so ridiculous it’s almost unbelievable. The definition that fits best is absurd, because it conveys that level of irrationality and preposterousness that makes you laugh or shake your head in disbelief. The other options miss that sense: a lot of noise describes sound, not a quality of reasoning or a situation; harmful or dangerous refers to risk, not ridiculousness; entertaining indicates fun, but not necessarily something so outlandish it borders on ridiculous. For example, proposing to bake a cake inside a washing machine with no heat is ludicrous—it’s absurd, not just noisy, dangerous, or merely entertaining.