preposterous : Dictionary / Wörterbuch (BEOLINGUS, TU Chemnitz)

English Dictionary: preposterous	by the DICT Development Group
2 results for preposterous
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
preposterous adj incongruous;inviting ridicule; "the absurd excuse that the dog ate his homework"; "that's a cockeyed idea"; "ask a nonsensical question and get a nonsensical answer"; "a contribution so small as to be laughable"; "it is ludicrous to call a cottage a mansion"; "a preposterous attempt to turn back the pages of history"; "her conceited assumption of universal interest in her rather dull children was ridiculous" Synonym(s): absurd, cockeyed, derisory, idiotic, laughable, ludicrous, nonsensical, preposterous, ridiculous
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Preposterous \Prepos"terous\, a.[L. praeposterus; prae before + posterus coming after, latter. See {Posterior}.] 1. Having that first which ought to be last; inverted in order. [Obs.] The method I take may be censured as preposterous, because I thus treat last of the antediluvian earth, which was first in the order of nature. --Woodward. 2. Contrary to nature or reason; not adapted to the end; utterly and glaringly foolish; unreasonably absurd; perverted. [bd]Most preposterous conclusions.[b8] --Shak. Preposterous ass, that never read so far! --Shak. Syn: Absurd; perverted; wrong; irrational; foolish; monstrous. See {Absurd}. -- {Prepos"terously}, adv. -{Prepos"terousness}, n.